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Cupping for hypertension: a systematic review

Myeong Soo Lee1, Tae-Young Choi, Byung-Cheul Shin

  • 1Division of Standard Research, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea. drmslee@gmail.com

Clinical and Experimental Hypertension (New York, N.Y. : 1993)
|September 11, 2010
PubMed

Insights

This review found limited evidence that cupping therapy effectively treats hypertension. More research is needed to confirm cupping

Area of Science:

  • Integrative and Complementary Medicine
  • Cardiovascular Health

Background:

  • Hypertension is a global health concern requiring diverse treatment options.
  • Cupping therapy is a traditional practice with proposed benefits for various conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically evaluate the existing clinical evidence for cupping as a hypertension treatment.
  • To determine the efficacy and safety of cupping therapy for managing high blood pressure.

Main Methods:

  • A comprehensive literature search was conducted across 15 databases up to June 2009.
  • Included studies were clinical trials (CTs) involving cupping for hypertension in humans.
  • Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane criteria.

Main Results:

  • Two clinical trials met the inclusion criteria.
  • One randomized controlled trial (RCT) indicated potential benefits of dry cupping on vascular compliance.
  • One uncontrolled observational study suggested wet cupping may acutely reduce blood pressure.

Conclusions:

  • Current evidence is insufficient to conclusively support cupping for hypertension treatment.
  • Further high-quality research is necessary to establish the specific effects and clinical utility of cupping therapy.

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