ABSTRACT Aims To investigate the effect of Tai Chi Chuan on balance function in adults 60 years or older with type 2 diabetes and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in China. Materials and Methods This was a three‐arm, parallel‐group, randomized controlled trial with concealed allocation, assessor blinding, intention‐to‐treat (ITT), and per‐protocol (PP) analysis. 328 adults 60 years or older, with a diagnosis of both type 2 diabetes and MCI, were randomly allocated into Tai Chi Chuan group, fitness walking group, and control group. All three groups were provided with a 30‐min diabetes self‐management education session, once every 4 weeks, for 24 weeks. In addition, the Tai Chi Chuan group received 24‐form simplified Tai Chi Chuan. The fitness walking group received fitness walking training. Both Tai Chi Chuan and fitness walking groups took the training for 60 min/session, three times/week, for 24 weeks in a supervised setting. After completing the 24‐week interventions, the participants were encouraged to continue exercise until the 36‐week follow‐up evaluation. The outcomes were time up and go (TUG) assessments, one leg standing test (OLST), functional reach test (FRT), grip strength, 5 time sit to stand test (5STS), modified fall efficacy scale (MFES), and falls data at baseline, 24 weeks, and 36 weeks follow‐up. Results At 36 weeks, the Tai Chi Chuan group was significantly more effective in decreasing the TUG‐cognitive‐motor (mean difference, −0.72; 95% CI −1.37 to −0.06), OLST (eyes‐closed, right leg) (mean difference, 1.02; 95% CI 0.24–1.80), FRT (mean difference, 2.00; 95% CI 0.57–3.42), 5STS (mean difference, −0.66; 95% CI −1.28 to −0.04), and MFES (mean difference, 0.36; 95% CI 0.15–0.56) compared with the fitness walking group. The Tai Chi Chuan group showed significantly fewer total falls during 36‐week experimental period compared with the fitness walking group. PP analysis demonstrated similar results as the ITT analysis. Conclusions Among the older adults with type 2 diabetes and MCI, Tai Chi Chuan was more effective than fitness walking and control at improving balance function and reducing fall risk.
Qin et al. (Mon,) studied this question.