24 Aug Electroacupuncture Reduces Blood Pressure in Hypertensive Patients
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Stephanie Tjen-A-Looi, MS, PhD
Project Scientist
Susan Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine
Department of Medicine
University of Medicine, Irvine
Medical Research: What is the background for this study?
Response: Mild to moderate hypertensive patient engaged in a stressful condition can lead to adverse cardiovascular responses such as a heart attack or stroke. Complementary to conventional medical antihypertensive drug treatments that pose side effects, acupuncture therapy with minimal side effects appears to reduce the high blood pressure.
Medical Research: What are the main findings?
Response: The main findings indicate a reduction in blood pressure in patients with hypertension. The data show that about 70% of the acupuncture treated patients benefit from this therapy. Moreover, plasma hormones indexing high sympathetic activity such as nor-epinephrine as well as renin, angiotensin and aldosterone are reduced with acupuncture.
Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?
Response: Electroacupuncture treatment at stimulating specific points reduces blood pressure. Stimulation of these points influencing the brain and hence blood pressure outcome has been studied extensively.
Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?
Response: Multicenter clinical trials to establish course of treatment to sustain blood pressure lowering effect of electroacupuncture therapy is needed in future studies.
Citation:
Peng Li, Stephanie C. Tjen-A-Looi, Ling Cheng, Dongmei Liu, Jeannette Painovich, Sivarama Vinjamury, John C. Longhurst. Long-Lasting Reduction of Blood Pressure by Electroacupuncture in Patients with Hypertension: Randomized Controlled Trial. Medical Acupuncture, 2015; 27 (4): 253 DOI: 1089/acu.2015.1106
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Stephanie Tjen-A-Looi, MS, PhD (2015). Electroacupuncture Reduces Blood Pressure in Hypertensive Patients
Last Updated on August 24, 2015 by Marie Benz MD FAAD