title: Long-Lasting Reduction of Blood Pressure by Electroacupuncture in Patients with Hypertension: Randomized Controlled Trial.
abstract: Background:Acupuncture at specific acupoints has experimentally been found to reduce chronically elevated blood pressure.Objective:To examine effectiveness of electroacupuncture (EA) at select acupoints to reduce systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressures (DBP) in hypertensive patients.Design:Two-arm parallel study.Patients:Sixty-five hypertensive patients not receiving medication were assigned randomly to one of the two acupuncture intervention (33 versus 32 patients).Intervention:Patients were assessed with 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. They were treated with 30-minutes of EA at PC 5-6+ST 36-37 or LI 6-7+GB 37-39 once weekly for 8 weeks. Four acupuncturists provided single-blinded treatment.Main outcome measures:Primary outcomes measuring effectiveness of EA were peak and average SBP and DBP. Secondary outcomes examined underlying mechanisms of acupuncture with plasma norepinephrine, renin, and aldosterone before and after 8 weeks of treatment. Outcomes were obtained by double-blinded evaluation.Results:After 8 weeks, 33 patients treated with EA at PC 5-6+ST 36-37 had decreased peak and average SBP and DBP, compared with 32 patients treated with EA at LI 6-7+GB 37-39 control acupoints. Changes in blood pressures significantly differed between the two patient groups. In 14 patients, a long-lasting blood pressure-lowering acupuncture effect was observed for an additional 4 weeks of EA at PC 5-6+ST 36-37. After treatment, the plasma concentration of norepinephrine, which was initially elevated, was decreased by 41%; likewise, renin was decreased by 67% and aldosterone by 22%.Conclusions:EA at select acupoints reduces blood pressure. Sympathetic and renin-aldosterone systems were likely related to the long-lasting EA actions.
authors.affiliation: Susan-Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine, University of California , Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Susan-Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine, University of California , Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA.
authors.forename: Stephanie C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Tjen-A-Looi
authors.affiliation: East Hospital , Shanghai, China .
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Susan-Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine, University of California , Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA.
authors.forename: Dongmei
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Susan-Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine, University of California , Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA.
authors.forename: Jeannette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Painovich
authors.affiliation: Southern California University of Health Sciences , Whittier, CA.
authors.forename: Sivarama
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vinjamury
authors.affiliation: Susan-Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine, University of California , Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA.
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Longhurst
keywords: Neiguan-Jianshi and Zusanli-Shangjuxu; Pianli-Wenliu and Guanming-Xuanzhong; Point Specificity