Clinical & Experimental Cardiology
Open Access
ISSN: 2155-9880
+44 1300 500008
ISSN: 2155-9880
+44 1300 500008
Ji-Eun Park
Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, South Korea
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Clin Exp Cardiolog
The aim of this study was to assess potential effectiveness of acupuncture in treating prehypertension and stage 1 hypertension in postmenopausal women. The study was a four-arm, non-blinded, randomized pilot trial. Sixty participants were randomly assigned to experimental or control groups. The experimental groups received 10 acupuncture sessions over 4 weeks (Group A, n=20) or 20 sessions over 8 weeks (Group B, n=20) along with usual care. The acupoints were GB20, LI11, ST36, and SP6, bilaterally. The groups were followed-up for an additional 12 weeks. The control groups received usual care for 16 weeks (Group C, n=10) or 20 weeks (Group D, n=10). The primary outcome variable was diastolic blood pressure (DBP). Secondary outcome variables were systolic BP (SBP), BP control rates, lipid profile, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein(hs-CRP). DBP in the acupuncture groups (A+B) showed a marginally significant decrease after 4 weeks compared to the control group (C+D) (p=0.059). While, group A showed a significant decrease only after acupuncture treatment not after follow-up period, in group B, change of DBP was significant after acupuncture treatment and follow-up period. There was no difference between the acupuncture and control groups in SBP at 4, 8, and 16 weeks. Group B showed a significant decrease in SBP at 20 weeks. Lipid profiles and hs-CRP did not differ significantly between the acupuncture and control groups. Acupuncture treatment for 4 weeks showed marginally significant benefit in DBP compared control group. In group getting acupuncture for 8 weeks, change of DBP was significant after acupuncture treatment and follow-up period. Further well-designed clinical trials are required to verify the effect of acupuncture on pre- and mild hypertension..
Ji-Eun Park has completed his PhD from Seoul National University. She is the Senior Researcher in Korean Institute of Oriental Medicine. She has published more than 30 papers in reputed journals of public health and alternative medicine field.