ACUPUNCTURE IN ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION: EVALUATION OF ITS EFFICACY WITH BOTH OFFICE AND AMBULATORY BLOOD PRESSURE MEASUREMENTS

Abstract

Objective: A possible alternative to pharmacological antihypertensive therapies in grade 1 low risk hypertensive patients or in those experienced drugs adverse effects could be acupuncture. Design and method: We focused on its possible effects on BP both as Office BP (OBP) and as Ambulatory BP Monitoring (ABPM) evaluating it before starting a 6 weeks twice weekly (total 12 session) acupuncture cycle and after 2 months from its completion. In this prospective study we treated with acupuncture 45 patients: 24 of them presents high-normal BP values and low cardiovascular risk while 21 patients were on anti-hypertensive drug with slightly uncontrolled BP values (from 140 to 145 mmHg for Systolic BP – SBP – and/or from 90 to 95 mmHg for Diastolic BP – DBP). Results: Regarding SBP, a significant reduction have been observed for office values (from 134.2±15.7 to 125.1±12.2, p = 0.03), and for ABPM 24h (from 131.1±10.7 to 126.0±10.1, p = 0.01) and day-time values (from 134.7±10.5 to 127.1±18.4, p = 0.02). For DBP, only ABPM 24h and day-time values showed significant changes (from 85.3±9.1 to 82.1±7.5, p = 0.03; and from 88.5±9.3 to 85.7±7.8, p = 0.02). Within session SBP decrease was -5.8 mmHg (-3.75%) during the first session while it falls to -2.1 mmHg (-1.25%) and stands firmly under 2 mmHg for all the next session. At the last session SBP reduction was -1.9 mmHg (-1.6%). Conclusions: We found a significant reduction in office, 24h and day-time ABPM SBP determined by a 6-weeks twice weekly acupuncture cycle that lasts at least for the first two months after its completion.