Electroacupuncture for patients with refractory functional dyspepsia: A randomized controlled trial.

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Integrative Medicine
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• Functional dyspepsia (FD) presents a significant challenge, particularly in refractory cases.
• Exploring novel therapeutic avenues for FD is crucial for improving patient outcomes.
• Electroacupuncture is investigated as a potential treatment for refractory FD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of electroacupuncture in treating patients with refractory functional dyspepsia.
• To compare authentic electroacupuncture with sham electroacupuncture in a randomized controlled trial.

Main Methods:

• A 24-week, single-blind, randomized controlled trial involving 200 patients with refractory FD.
• Participants received 20 sessions of either authentic or sham electroacupuncture over 4 weeks.
• Primary outcome: complete absence of dyspeptic symptoms at 16 weeks; secondary outcomes included symptom relief and validated questionnaires (LDQ, NDI).

Main Results:

• At 16 weeks, 17% of patients receiving authentic electroacupuncture achieved complete symptom absence versus 6% in the sham group (P=0.014).
• Adequate relief was reported by 62% in the authentic group compared to 22% in the sham group (P=0.001).
• Significant improvements in Leeds Dyspepsia Questionnaire (LDQ) and Nepean Dyspepsia Index (NDI) scores were observed, favoring authentic electroacupuncture.

Conclusions:

• Electroacupuncture demonstrates significant efficacy in improving dyspeptic symptoms for patients with refractory FD.
• The study supports the use of authentic electroacupuncture as a beneficial treatment for refractory functional dyspepsia.
• No serious adverse events were reported, indicating a favorable safety profile for electroacupuncture in this patient group.