Laser acupuncture protocol for essential systemic arterial hypertension: randomized clinical trial

Area of Science:

• Integrative and Complementary Health Practices
• Cardiovascular Nursing
• Acupuncture Research

Background:

• Arterial hypertension remains a significant global health challenge, often requiring multimodal management strategies.
• Current pharmacological treatments for hypertension may have limitations or side effects, necessitating exploration of alternative therapies.
• Nurses play a crucial role in patient care and can be trained to administer innovative therapeutic protocols.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a novel laser acupuncture protocol developed and administered by nurses for managing arterial hypertension.
• To determine if laser acupuncture can significantly reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure in patients with difficult-to-control hypertension.
• To assess the potential of this nursing-led intervention as a complementary therapy for essential systemic arterial hypertension.

Main Methods:

• A randomized, multicenter, triple-blind, two-armed clinical trial involving 102 participants (aged 30-75) with uncontrolled hypertension despite ongoing drug therapy.
• Participants received either standard or simulated laser acupuncture sessions (24 minutes each) over six weeks.
• Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, Student's t-test, and Anova to compare blood pressure changes between groups.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant reduction in both systolic (p<0.001) and diastolic (p<0.001) blood pressure was observed in the group receiving active laser acupuncture.
• No significant blood pressure reduction was noted in the group that received simulated laser acupuncture.
• The findings indicate a clear therapeutic effect attributable to the laser acupuncture intervention.

Conclusions:

• The laser acupuncture protocol developed and applied by nurses demonstrated efficacy in reducing and controlling blood pressure in patients with arterial hypertension.
• This nursing-administered laser acupuncture presents a viable technological option for the care of patients with essential systemic arterial hypertension.
• Further integration of such evidence-based complementary therapies into nursing practice can enhance hypertension management.