An unsuccessful attempt to treat hypertension with acupuncture

The effectiveness of 5 sets of acupuncture loci in decreasing systemic blood pressure was compared with chlorthalidone and propranolol in patients with essential hypertension. No statistically significant acute or long-term changes in plasma catecholamines, renin activity, or blood pressure and pulse rate were observed as a result of acupuncture treatment. The decrease in blood pressure was significantly less than that observed with propranolol, but not significantly less than that produced by chlorthalidone. Because of the poor patient acceptance of acupuncture and in the absence of a beneficial response, we feel acupuncture as employed in this study is of limited value in the management of patients with essential hypertension.