title: Acupuncture in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis: a randomized trial.
abstract: Chinese translation
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Acupuncture is frequently used to treat seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) despite limited scientific evidence.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effects of acupuncture in patients with SAR.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized, controlled multicenter trial. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00610584)
  
  
  METHODS
  46 specialized physicians in 6 hospital clinics and 32 private outpatient clinics.
  
  
  METHODS
  422 persons with SAR and IgE sensitization to birch and grass pollen.
  
  
  METHODS
  Acupuncture plus rescue medication (RM) (cetirizine) (n = 212), sham acupuncture plus RM (n = 102), or RM alone (n = 108). Twelve treatments were provided over 8 weeks in the first year.
  
  
  METHODS
  Changes in the Rhinitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) overall score and the RM score (RMS) from baseline to weeks 7 and 8 and week 16 in the first year and week 8 in the second year after randomization, with predefined noninferiority margins of -0.5 point (RQLQ) and -1.5 points (RMS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with sham acupuncture and with RM, acupuncture was associated with improvement in RQLQ score (sham vs. acupuncture mean difference, 0.5 point [97.5% CI, 0.2 to 0.8 point; P < 0.001]; RM vs. acupuncture mean difference, 0.7 point [97.5% CI, 0.4 to 1.0 point; P < 0.001]) and RMS (sham vs. acupuncture mean difference, 1.1 points [97.5% CI, 0.4 to 1.9 points; P < 0.001]; RM vs. acupuncture mean difference, 1.5 points [97.5% CI, 0.8 to 2.2 points; P < 0.001]). There were no differences after 16 weeks in the first year. After the 8-week follow-up phase in the second year, small improvements favoring real acupuncture over the sham procedure were noted (RQLQ mean difference, 0.3 point [95% CI, 0.03 to 0.6 point; P = 0.032]; RMS mean difference, 1.0 point [95% CI, 0.2 to 1.9 points; P = 0.018]).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study was not powered to detect rare adverse events, and the RQLQ and RMS values were low at baseline.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acupuncture led to statistically significant improvements in disease-specific quality of life and antihistamine use measures after 8 weeks of treatment compared with sham acupuncture and with RM alone, but the improvements may not be clinically significant.
authors: Charité University Medical Center and German Red Cross Hospital Westend, Berlin, Germany.
authors: Benno
authors: B
authors: Brinkhaus
authors: Miriam
authors: M
authors: Ortiz
authors: Claudia M
authors: CM
authors: Witt
authors: Stephanie
authors: S
authors: Roll
authors: Klaus
authors: K
authors: Linde
authors: Florian
authors: F
authors: Pfab
authors: Bodo
authors: B
authors: Niggemann
authors: Josef
authors: J
authors: Hummelsberger
authors: András
authors: A
authors: Treszl
authors: Johannes
authors: J
authors: Ring
authors: Torsten
authors: T
authors: Zuberbier
authors: Karl
authors: K
authors: Wegscheider
authors: Stefan N
authors: SN
authors: Willich
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D029662:Betula; D017332:Cetirizine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D006109:Poaceae; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology; D011788:Quality of Life; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D017332:Cetirizine