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Efficacy of Bloodletting Therapy in Patients with Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria: A Randomized Control Trial
Biru Ma1,2, Xiuhua Chen1, Yudan Liang3
1Traditional Therapy Clinic, The Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510120, China.
Insights
Bloodletting therapy combined with ebastine significantly improved chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) symptoms compared to placebo or ebastine alone. This traditional therapy offers a beneficial complementary treatment option for CIU patients.
Area of Science:
- Integrative Medicine
- Dermatology
- Traditional Chinese Medicine
Background:
- Chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) presents a significant clinical challenge with limited treatment options.
- Bloodletting therapy, a component of Traditional Chinese Medicine, has been historically used for various inflammatory conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of bloodletting therapy (acupoint pricking and cupping) as an adjunct treatment for patients diagnosed with chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU).
Main Methods:
- A randomized, parallel-group trial involving 174 CIU patients randomized into three arms: bloodletting plus ebastine, placebo plus ebastine, or ebastine alone.
- The primary outcome measure was the effective rate of achieving a Urticaria Activity Score (UAS7) of 7 or below post-treatment.
Main Results:
- Bloodletting therapy combined with ebastine demonstrated a significantly higher effective rate (73.7%) compared to placebo with ebastine (45.6%) and ebastine alone (42.9%).
- Statistical analysis confirmed significant differences between the bloodletting group and the other two groups (P < 0.0125).
- No severe adverse events related to bloodletting therapy were reported.
Conclusions:
- One month of bloodletting therapy as a complementary treatment alongside ebastine provides clinical benefits for patients with CIU.
- Bloodletting therapy emerges as a safe and effective adjunctive option for managing chronic idiopathic urticaria.
Objective:
To assess the efficacy of bloodletting therapy (acupoint pricking and cupping) in patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) in a randomized, control, parallel-group trial.
Methods:
A total of 174 patients with CIU enrolled from March 2018 to October 2019 were randomized into three groups: group A treated with bloodletting therapy and ebastine, group B treated with placebo treatment (acupoint pseudopricking and cupping) and ebastine, and group C treated with ebastine only. The intention-to-treat analysis was conducted, and the primary outcome was the effective rate of UAS7 score being reduced to 7 or below after treatment phase.
Results:
The effective rates at the end of treatment phase were different among the three groups (P < 0.05), which were 73.7% in group A, 45.6% in group B, and 42.9% in group C. Multiple analysis indicated differences between groups A and B (P < 0.0125) and groups A and C (P < 0.0125) and no difference between groups B and C (P > 0.0125). No severe bloodletting therapy-related adverse events were observed.
Conclusions:
In this study on patients with CIU, one month of bloodletting therapy combined with ebastine is clinically beneficial compared with placebo treatment combined with ebastine and treatment with ebastine only. Thus, bloodletting therapy can be an effective complementary treatment in CIU. This trial is registered with ChiCTR1800015294.
