Long-Lasting Reduction of Blood Pressure by Electroacupuncture in Patients with Hypertension: Randomized Controlled Trial
Peng Li, MD
MEDICAL ACUPUNCTURE
Volume 27, Number 4, 2015
DOI: 10.1089/acu.2015.1106
ABSTRACT
Background: Acupuncture at specific acupoints has experimentally been found to reduce chronically elevated
blood pressure.
Objective: To examine effectiveness of electroacupuncture (EA) at select acupoints to reduce systolic blood
pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressures (DBP) in hypertensive patients.
Design: Two-arm parallel study.
Patients: Sixty-five hypertensive patients not receiving medication were assigned randomly to one of the two
acupuncture intervention (33 versus 32 patients).
Intervention: Patients were assessed with 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. They were treated
with 30-minutes of EA at PC 5-6 + ST 36-37 or LI 6-7 +GB 37-39 once weekly for 8 weeks. Four acupuncturists
provided single-blinded treatment.
Main outcome measures: Primary outcomes measuring effectiveness of EA were peak and average SBP and
DBP. Secondary outcomes examined underlying mechanisms of acupuncture with plasma norepinephrine,
renin, and aldosterone before and after 8 weeks of treatment. Outcomes were obtained by double-blinded
evaluation.
Results: After 8 weeks, 33 patients treated with EA at PC 5-6 + ST 36-37 had decreased peak and average SBP
and DBP, compared with 32 patients treated with EA at LI 6-7 +GB 37-39 control acupoints. Changes in blood
pressures significantly differed between the two patient groups. In 14 patients, a long-lasting blood pressure–
lowering acupuncture effect was observed for an additional 4 weeks of EA at PC 5-6 + ST 36-37. After
treatment, the plasma concentration of norepinephrine, which was initially elevated, was decreased by 41%;
likewise, renin was decreased by 67% and aldosterone by 22%.
Conclusions: EA at select acupoints reduces blood pressure. Sympathetic and renin-aldosterone systems were
likely related to the long-lasting EA actions.