What types of patients with chronic diarrhea benefit more from acupuncture treatment? A secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

IntroductionAcupuncture has been proved to be effective for chronic diarrhea. However, it is still unclear what types of patients with chronic diarrhea will benefit more from acupuncture treatment. This study aims to identify the characteristics and baseline measurements related to acupuncture response when treating chronic diarrhea. MethodsThis is a secondary analysis of a previous published trial in which 448 patients were randomly allocated into 3 electroacupuncture groups and a medication group (control). The primary outcome was the change from baseline in weekly stool frequency at the end of 4-weeks of treatment. Responders were defined as patients who had a ≥ 30 % reduction in primary outcome. We screened potential factors by performing a univariate analysis and then applied a multivariable logistic regression model to explore the factors related to the acupuncture outcomes. ResultsWe analyzed a total of 325 acupuncture treated participants and found that 49.2 % (160) had a reduction of over 30 % in weekly stool frequency. At baseline patients with higher weekly stool frequencies (P < 0.001), higher bodily pain scores of the MOS 36-item short form health survey (SF-36) (P = 0.004) at baseline, and receiving acupuncture treatment at the He acupoints (P = 0.030) reported better outcomes. ConclusionChronic diarrhea patients with higher weekly stool frequencies, less abdominal pain and receiving acupuncture treatment at He acupoints may be more likely to respond to acupuncture treatment. Our findings can contribute to the clinical prognosis for the acupuncture treatment to patient with chronic diarrhea.