Acupuncture as an adjunctive therapy for arrhythmia: a Delphi expert consensus survey

Area of Science:

• Integrative Medicine
• Cardiology
• Traditional Chinese Medicine

Background:

• Acupuncture is recognized as a potentially beneficial adjunctive therapy for cardiac arrhythmias.
• Optimal therapeutic strategies and best practices for acupuncture in arrhythmia management remain unclear due to existing evidence gaps.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop consensus-based recommendations for clinical guidance on acupuncture treatment for cardiac arrhythmias.
• To address uncertainties in the current practice of acupuncture for arrhythmia.

Main Methods:

• A multidisciplinary panel of specialists conducted a two-round investigation.
• Literature reviews were performed across three databases.
• A three-round modified Delphi survey involving 30 experts achieved consensus (>80% agreement) on key issues.

Main Results:

• Consensus was reached on 32 items (91.43%) across five domains: benefits, general therapeutic principles, acupuncture strategy, adverse events, and other considerations.
• The Delphi survey successfully identified areas of agreement among experts.

Conclusions:

• Consensus was achieved on critical elements for acupuncture in cardiac arrhythmia management.
• These recommendations offer valuable guidance for acupuncturists and patients in the absence of established guidelines.
• The study highlights areas for future research to further refine acupuncture's role in treating arrhythmias.