title: Osteopathic manipulation as a complementary treatment for the prevention of cardiac complications: 12-Months follow-up of intima media and blood pressure on a cohort affected by hypertension.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aim of the present study was to investigate the association between osteopathic treatment and hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  The design was a non-randomized trial including consecutive subjects affected by hypertension and vascular alterations, using pre-post differences in intima-media thickness, systolic and diastolic blood pressure as primary endpoints. Statistical analysis was based on univariate t tests and multivariate linear regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of N = 31 out of N = 63 eligible subjects followed by a single cardiologist received osteopathic treatment in addition to routine care. Clinical measurements were recorded at baseline and after 12 months. Univariate analysis found that osteopathic treatment was significantly associated to an improvement in all primary endpoints. Multivariate linear regression showed that, after adjusting for all potential confounders, osteopathic treatment was performing significantly better for intima-media thickness (delta between pre-post differences in treated and control groups: -0.517; 95% c.i.: -0.680, -0.353) and systolic blood pressure (-4.523; -6.291, -2.755), but not for diastolic blood pressure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study shows that, among patients affected by cardiovascular disorders, osteopathic treatment is significantly associated to an improvement in intima-media and systolic blood pressure after one year. Multicentric randomized trials of adequate sample size are needed to evaluate the efficacy of OMT in the treatment of hypertension.
authors.affiliation: European Institute for Evidence Based Osteopathic Medicine, Viale Unità d'Italia 1, 66100 Chieti, Italy. francesco.cerritelli@ebom.it
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cerritelli
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carinci
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pizzolorusso
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Turi
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Renzetti
authors.forename: Felice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pizzolorusso
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Orlando
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cozzolino
authors.forename: Gina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barlafante
mesh_terms: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D026301:Manipulation, Osteopathic; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents