The hemorheological safety of pulsed electromagnetic fields in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis in southwest China: A randomized, placebo controlled clinical trial

Abstract

Apart from medications, pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) are used to treat osteoporosis nowadays. However studies on hemorheological safety of PEMFs were scarce. This randomized, placebo controlled clinical trial assessed whether PEMFs could lead to significant hemorheological changes. Fifty-five postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to receive placebo or PEMFs. Venous blood samples were collected at baseline and after treatment to measure 14 hemorheological determinants. Independent samples t-test, paired samples t-test and chi-squared tests were performed respectively. Relationships between variables were determined by Pearson correlation analysis. Multiple linear stepwise regression analysis was used to explore predictors of selected determinants. No significant differences existed between the placebo and PEMFs groups for any of the 14 hemorheological determinants (P>0.05) or the percentage of patients with hemorheological determinant within reference range (P>0.05). Hematocrit was found to be correlated with BMI (P=0.007). The most significant predictor of blood reduced viscosity at low shear rate was blood viscosity at low shear rate. And blood reduced viscosity at high shear rate was the most important predictor of plasma viscosity. These results showed, compared with placebo, PEMFs treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis was not associated with adverse changes in hemorheological determinants, which may contribute to venous thromboembolism.