[Effects of acupuncture and moxibustion on blood vessels and the blood flow rate in patients with takayasu arteritis].
OBJECTIVE
To observe the therapeutic effect of acupuncture and moxibustion on takayasu arteritis of brachiocephalic artery type and the mechanism.


METHODS
Thirty-one cases were treated by acupuncture and moxibustion at main acupoint Renying (ST 9) and adjuvant acupoints selected according to the symptoms. The therapeutic effect and changes of color Doppler's ultrasonic flow image (CDFI) of relevant arteries in patients before and after treatment were investigated.


RESULTS
The clinical total effective rate was 90.3%. Of the 31 cases, 5 cases were clinically cured, 16 cases were markedly effective, 7 cases improved and 3 cases were ineffective; and it was showed that acupuncture and moxibustion could enlarge the inner diameter of the injured blood vessel, increase the volume of blood flow and the elastic index of the injured blood vessel, and improve the abnormal velocity and the abnormal crest form of blood flow.


CONCLUSIONS
Acupuncture and moxibustion has a good therapeutic effect on takayasu arteritis of brachiocephalic artery type; acupuncture and moxibustion can improve the stenotic degree of the injured blood vessel and abnormal hemodynamics of blood flow in the limb and brain.
Ni
Guang-xia
GX
The Key Laboratory of Combined Acupuncture and Medication, Nanjing University of TCM, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, China. xgn66@163.com
Han
Jing-xian
JX
Gao
Qi-fang
QF
Yan
Li
L
Liu
Meng-kun
MK
Shi
Xue-min
XM
D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009071:Moxibustion; D013625:Takayasu Arteritis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome