title: [Effect of acupuncture needle-retention duration at Baihui (GV 20) and sishencong (EX-HN 1) on blood pressure in hypertension patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the effect of needle-retention duration at Baihui (GV 20) and Sishencong (EX-HN 1) on blood pressure in hypertension patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four patients with essential hypertension were randomly divided into acupuncture group and medication group. For patients of the acupuncture group, single-use sterilized filiform needles were inserted into Baihui (GV 20) and Sishencong (EX-HN 1) and manipulated for about 10 s till "Deqi", and retained for 8 h. Patients of the medication group were treated by oral administration of Nifedipine tablets(20 mg)in the morning. Blood pressure (right brachial artery) was detected 0.5, 2, 4, 6 and 8 h after the treatment respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In comparison with pre-treatment, the systolic pressure levels at the time-points of 0.5, 2, 4, 6 and 8 h after taking Nifedipine in the medication group, and the systolic pressure levels at the time-points of 2, 4 and 6 h after the treatment in the acupuncture group, and the diastolic pressure levels at the time-points of 2, 4, 6 and 8 h in both acupuncture and medication groups were decreased obviously (P<0.05, P<0.01). The effect of acupuncture group was significantly weaker than that of the medication group in lowering systolic pressure at the time-points of 0.5 and 8 h after the treatment (P<0.01). No significant differences were found between the acupuncture and medication groups in lowering systolic pressure at the time-points of 2, 4 and 6 h after the treatment, and in lowering diastolic pressure at the time-points of 0.5, 2, 4, 6 and 8 h after the treatment (P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acupuncture stimulation of Baihui (GV 20) and Sishencong (EX-HN 1) with sustained needle-retention works well in lowering blood pressure in hypertension patients, but is relatively slower and has a shorter period of time in lowering blood-pressure efficacy.
authors.affiliation: Henan Provincial Academy of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450004, China. dongyongshu6@sina.com
authors.forename: Yong-Shu
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Shu-Li
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Xing
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009339:Needles; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult