Acupuncture for patients with mild hypertension: A randomized controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Integrative and Complementary Medicine
• Cardiovascular Health
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• Mild hypertension poses a significant cardiovascular risk.
• Existing evidence on acupuncture for hypertension is inconclusive.
• Acupuncture is a traditional therapy with potential benefits for blood pressure management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture in reducing blood pressure (BP) in patients with mild hypertension.
• To compare acupuncture with sham acupuncture and a waiting-list control group.
• To determine the long-term effects of acupuncture on blood pressure.

Main Methods:

• A multicenter, single-blind, sham-controlled, randomized trial involving 415 patients with mild hypertension.
• Patients received 18 sessions of affected meridian acupuncture, non-affected meridian acupuncture, sham acupuncture, or were on a waiting list over 6 weeks.
• 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was conducted at weeks 6, 9, and 12.

Main Results:

• Pooled acupuncture groups showed a decrease in systolic blood pressure (SBP) at week 6 compared to controls, but not statistically superior to sham acupuncture.
• By week 9, acupuncture was superior to sham acupuncture (3.3 mmHg difference) and the waiting-list control (4.8 mmHg difference) in reducing BP.
• Acupuncture demonstrated a small effect size on blood pressure reduction in this patient population.

Conclusions:

• Acupuncture may offer a modest benefit for blood pressure reduction in individuals with mild hypertension.
• The findings suggest a potential therapeutic role for acupuncture, particularly after a course of treatment.
• Further research is warranted to confirm these findings and explore optimal acupuncture protocols.