title: Effects of acupuncture on radial artery hemodynamics: controlled trials in sensitized and naive subjects.
abstract: Palpation of the radial pulses is an important technique in traditional Chinese medicine. Two double-blind randomized trials of the effects of real and sham acupuncture on radial artery hemodynamics were conducted in 19 patients regularly exposed to acupuncture (sensitized subjects) and in 8 healthy subjects devoid of previous exposure (naive subjects), respectively. Radial artery diameter and pulse waveform were measured with a high-resolution echotracking system and aplanation tonometry, respectively, before and during a 20-min acupuncture period. In sensitized patients, arterial diameter significantly increased during real acupuncture, compared with the sham group (+7.5 +/- 2.8 vs. -2.9 +/- 2.7%, respectively; P < 0.01). By contrast, in naive subjects, arterial diameter did not change during real or sham acupuncture. In both populations, no significant difference was observed between real and sham acupuncture, concerning the time course of blood pressure, radial artery distensibility, and pressure waveform. Our results demonstrate that real acupuncture is associated with an objective vasodilatation of the radial artery in patients regularly exposed to acupuncture, but not in naive subjects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Unité, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U 337, Paris, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boutouyrie
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Corvisier
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Azizi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lemoine
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Laloux
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hallouin
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Laurent
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015990:Placebo Effect; D017534:Radial Artery / Q000502:physiology*; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology*