Abstracts of ICMART 2000 International Medical Acupuncture Congress

Backgrounds and Purpose

Hypertension is a common origin for the stroke, heart disease, etc. Clinical management is needed to prevent these diseases. It has been said that auricular acupuncture treatment can be used for the control of hypertension. In this study we studied the effects of auricular acupuncture on the mild hypertension.

Clinical study was performed on 22 stroke patients who didn't take the antihypertensive drugs. They were admitted in Kyunghee university, hospital of oriental medicine. We checked patients 24-hours blood pressure by Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor and did auricular acupuncture treatment for one day and rechecked blood pressure for 24-hours. We compared the blood pressure between before and after auricular acupuncture treatment by Wilcoxon test (p<0.05). The acupuncture points were KOHYOLABJUM, NAEBUNBI, SHINMUN, SHIM, KANGABJUM They were all on the auricular.

After auricular acupuncture treatment, systolic and diastolic hypertension decreased significantly (p<0.05).
After auricular acupuncture treatment, heart rates didn't changed significantly.
After auricular acupuncture treatment, there was no significant difference between male and female on decreased effects of blood pressure.

These results shows that Auricular acupuncture treatment can be used for antihypertensive purpose. This treatment is convenient and doesn't have significant side effects. About the efficacy and safety, further study is needed.

2.The use of low-frequency magnetotherapy and EHF puncture in the combined treatment of arterial hypertension in vibration-induced disease/[Article in Russian]Drobyshev VA, Filippova GN, Loseva MI, Shpagina LA, Shelepova NV, Zhelezniak MS.
Vopr Kurortol Fizioter Lech Fiz Kult 2000 May-Jun;(3):9-11

Combination of EHF therapy + magnetotherapy + drugs results in faster and persistent hypotensive and analgetic effect compared to standard drug therapy, potentiates action of vascular drugs on cerebral and peripheral circulation, reduces dose of hypotensive drugs in patients with arterial hypertension and vibration disease.

3.Acupuncture reflexotherapy in the treatment of hypertension patients/[Article in Ukrainian]Babichenko MA.
Lik Sprava 2000 Jan-Feb;(1):95-7

Acupuncture was used in a combination treatment of 110 patients with stage I to III hypertensive disease (HD). As far as acupuncture points are concerned we followed the lines laid down in the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), with results of Ryodoraku investigation and those of auriculodiagnosis supplying a guide to the choice of points taking into account the type of hemodynamics. In our experience, redundancy with the meridian of the liver, unlike TCM notions about dominance under HD syndrome of fire and wind in the liver, was found to be the case in 40 percent of the patients while redundancy with meridians of the heart and pericardium was recordable in 97 and 84 percent of the cases respectively. The use of acupuncture points in the neck collar region and head and of antique points along the meridians of the heart and liver were shown to be effective treatment having a beneficial effect on cerebral circulation. Results of the clinical study suggest efficiency, expediency, and pathogenic value of acupuncture in the treatment of HD patients.

PMID: 10878993 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

4.Effects of physical training on blood pressure in hypertension/Bjorntorp P.
Eur Heart J 1987 May;8 Suppl B:71-6

Although initial studies did not allow conclusions on the effects of physical training on blood pressure in hypertension because the groups studied were too small, and because of a mixture of hypertension types, body weight changes and lack of controls, recent studies are not rendered difficult to interpret by such deficiencies. Such studies seem now to allow the conclusion that physical training lowers blood pressure in borderline hypertension by decreasing heart rate and cardiac output, but not peripheral resistance. It is noteworthy that increases of heart rate and cardiac output, as well as a number of other symptoms of increased activity of the central sympathetic nervous system, are characteristic of a large group of subjects with borderline hypertension, and it seems that these subjects are particularly good responders to physical training. Recent studies suggest that physical activity, as well as electric nerve stimulation and acupuncture, sends specific afferent nerve signals to the central nervous system resulting afterwards in increased pain threshold, and lower activity in the central sympathetic nervous system, resulting in lower heart rate and blood pressure. These effects seem to be mediated via endorphin release in the central nervous system because they can be mimicked by local administration of these substances and inhibited by naloxone. It seems an interesting possibility that physical training lowers blood pressure and other expressions of increased sympathetic nervous system activity via such a mechanism. Further studies along this line may be rewarding from different aspects.

5.The effect of acupuncture on essential hypertension. /Tam KC, Yiu HH.
Am J Chin Med 1975 Oct;3(4):369-75

Twenty-eight patients with essential hypertension were treated with acupuncture therapy. Sixteen showed excellent improvement in terms of the lowering of blood pressure to normal and the disappearance of original symptoms. Eight had moderate improvement and 4 showed no response. The results of treatment seem to indicate that improvement is closely related to the duration of disease and the history of drug treatment. The selection of acupuncture loci and the techniques of needle insertion and manipulation are discussed in detail.

6.Effects of acupuncture at fengchi point (GB 20) on cerebral blood flow./Yuan X, Hao X, Lai Z, Zhao H, Liu W.Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing.
J Tradit Chin Med 1998 Jun;18(2):102-5

Blood velocity in the vertebral artery and the basilar artery was observed before and after acupuncture at Fengchi point (GB 20) in 97 patients by transcranial Doppler ultrasonic detecting. The results showed that the blood velocity in patients with either high or low blood flow had significant changes after acupuncture (P < 0.001).

7.Hypertension in rats following multiple acupuncture of the adrenal glands. /Hall CE, Ayachi S, Hall O.
Endocrinology. 1974 Nov;95(5):1268-74. ( Indexed by Medline but with no abstract available)

8.Experimental study of the effect of electric auriculoacupuncture on arterialblood pressure and phrenic nerve discharge in rabbits/Xu Fengzhou LiuZhongrong Chen Jingcao
J Luzhou Med Coll.-1991,14(2)115-118

The effect of ear electroacupuncture on arterial blood pressure(BP) andintegrated phrenic nerve discharge(IPND) was determined on 28 anaesthetizedrabbits by a total of 124 electrostimulations during 3 differentperiods:spontaneous breathing period, excitatory period and inhibitory periodof asphyxia.The decrease of BP was 7.48+/-0.67kpa(P<0.01),4.83+/-0.63kpa,and4.25+/-0.67kpa(P<0.05) respectively;the increase of mean frequency of IPNDwas 2.87+/-0.26 breath/10s,3.54+/-0.31 breath/10s,and 3.24+/-0.41 breath/10s(P<0.01) respectively. The results indicated that theelectroacupuncture at "BP lowering point" on ear had significant effectoflowering BP and raising respiratory rate which were more prominant atexcitatory than at inhibitory period of asphyxia. This preliminary workprovides experimental data for the further study of ear needling in theemergency treatment of hypertension and respiratory failure.

9.Hypertension treated by eye acupuncture, Analysis of 99 cases/Wang Manli ZhangQiyan Yu Huimin
Information on Traditional Chin Medicine.-1991,8(3)33-34

Bilateral "hepar area" was chosen as main point. For patient with headacheand eye distention, Taiyi (ST 23) should be added. A needle of 0.5 cun longwas inserted into the selected point, and retained for 10 minutes. Thistherapy was taken once daily. Evaluation of therapeutic efficacy: (1) markedeffectiveness means that after acupuncture the diastolic pressure was rapidlyreduced >20 mm Hg or returned nearly to normal person; or the systolicpressure reduced 20-30 mm Hg; or the symptoms appeared during 3 days, and theblood pressure maintained normally during 1 week. (2) Effectivess means thatafter acupuncture the diastolic pressure was reduced >10 mm Hg during 2 days,but diastolic pressure was reduced >10 mm Hg during 2 days, but can't reachto the normal range; most of the symptoms disappeared. (3)improvement meansthat after acupuncture the sytolic pressure was reduced >10 mm Hg, and thesymptoms were relieved. Result: After acupuncture, marked effectiveness wasfound in 63 cases, effectiveness in 20 cases, and improvement in 16 cases.

10.Improving blood pressure and left cardiac function on hypertension by heartpoint of ear needling/Huang Heqing Liang Shuzhong
Chin J Integ Tradit West Med...-1991,11(11)654-656,643

The authors observed 30 patients with hypertension, which blood pressure waslowered by heart point of ear needling, Comparison of hypotensive effect ofshort-term between heart point and stomach point of ear needling showed thatthere was markable hypotensive effect by heart point, whose hypotensive rateof short-term was 100 and forward effect rate was 63.3. There was inefficacyfor hypotensive by stomach point. There was marked effect of left cardiacfunction, with II, III stage of hypertension, which was improved by heartpoint. There was inefficacy for left cardiac function of normal being.

11.The relation of reducing blood pressure of auricular points to syndromes of TCMand patient's characters/Zhou Xin Rong Zhang Yan Hua Ye Lu
J Tradit Chin Med...-1990,31(10)26-28

For 44 cases of primary hypertension, ear acupuncture therapy, syndromes intraditional Chinese medicine and types of character were observed andanalyzed. Methods: Auricla, Sympathetic Nerve, Ear-Shenmen, Kidney, Liver,Endocrine, Pressure Decrease Groove and Ear Apex on both sides were seleted.5 to 7 points on one side were applied in each treatment, and points onopposite side were applied after 3--4 days. Self-made Jiangya Pills(made byDanshen(Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae), Honghua(FlosCarthami),Zhuling(Polyporus Umbellatus) and Zexie(Rhizoma Lycopi) with samesize as Wangbuliu(Semen Vaccariae)) were applied. Results:This methodfunctioned to decrease both systolic pressure and diastolic pressure, andamplitude of diastolic pressure decrease in syndrome of Yang deficiency wasmore obvious; effect of blood pressure decrease was better in those withsyndrome of Yin deficiency and behavior of type A than in those with syndromeof Yin deficiency and behavior of type B; effect of blood pressure decreasewas better in those with syndrome of Yang deficiency and behavior of type Bthan in those with syndrome of Yang deficiency and behavior of type A. Earacupressure of herbal pills could obviously decrease serum cholesterol andtriglyceride of those with behavior of type A; but it could only decreasetriglyceride obviously of those with behavior of type B. Tab6 Rf5

12.Hypertension treated by scalp acupuncture./Guo Wen Yu
J Acupuncture and Moxibust.-1990,6(4)35

13.The sanogenic effects of reflex acupuncture therapy in regard to the pathogenesis of hypertension/Babichenko NA, Macheret EL.
Lik Sprava. 1999 Oct-Dec;(7-8):27-31.

14.Regulatory effects of acupuncture and moxibustion on simple obese complicatedwith hypertension/Liu Zhi Cheng Li Jia Sun Feng Min
Chin J Integ Tradit WestMed.-1990,10(9)522-525

15.Hypertension treated by moxibustion at Baihui point combined with auricularpoint sticking.Report of 132 cases/Chen Quan
Chin Acupunct Moxibust.-1991,11(1)6

16.Hypertension treated by auricular point sticking.Report of 82 cases/Chen YinCang
Hebei Tradit Chin Med.-1991,13(2)42

17.Treating 18 cases of hypertension and hypertipemia with acupuncture/Yin Zhifang
Zhejiang J Tradit Chin Med.-1990,25(11)520

18.Compare on earjian and jiang yadian in treatment of hypertension withelectroacupuncture./Dong Bing Chen Jing Cao Xu Feng Zhou
J Acupuncture and Moxibust.-1990,6(4)15-16

19.An observation on acupuncture Quchi point in treating hypertension and change ofrheoencephalogram/Zhang Shu Jing Ji Qing Shan Li Jie
Zhejiang J Tradit ChinMed.-1990,25(12)559-560