Study: Tai Chi Seen to Boost Immune System Response in Older Adults

A study was carried out in 2007 to evaluate the effects of Tai Chi on resting and vaccine-stimulated levels of cell-mediated immunity (CMI) to varicella zoster virus (VZV), and on health functioning in older adults.

The trial was conducted over 25 weeks, and at week 16 participants were vaccinated with VARIVAX, the live attenuated Oka/Merck VZV vaccine licensed to prevent varicella.

The Tai Chi group showed higher levels of VZV-CMI than the health education control group, with a significant rate of increase that was nearly twice that found in the health education group. Tai Chi alone induced an increase in VZV-CMI that was comparable in magnitude with that induced by varicella vaccine. Furthermore, the two were additive; Tai Chi, together with vaccine, produced a substantially higher level of VZV-CMI than the vaccine alone. The Tai Chi group also showed significant improvements in SF-36 scores for physical functioning, bodily pain, vitality, and mental health.

Reference:  Irwin, MR; Olmstead, R & Oxman, MN (2007). "Augmenting Immune Responses to Varicella Zoster Virus in Older Adults: A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Tai Chi". Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 55 (4): 511–517. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1532-5415.2007.01109.x/abstract .http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17397428 http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1532-5415.2007.01109.x