Annette Jørgensen & Palle Rosted
Der er publiceret 20 RCT, reviews, kliniske undersøgelser og metaanalyser de sidste 3 måneder, nedenfor er abstrakts for de mest relevante. Generelt må man sige, at det er en tynd kop the, men de sidste to abstrakts er interessante.
J Tradit Chin Med. 2010 Mar;30(1):21-2.
Clinical observation on acupuncture treatment of intractable insomnia.
Li LF, Lu JH.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of acupuncture for treatment of intractable insomnia. METHODS: Totally 90 patients were randomly divided into a treatment group (50 cases), treated by the body acupuncture plus auricular-plaster therapy, and a control group (40 cases), the Baihui (GV 20)-through-Sishencong (EX-HN1). puncture, auricular-plaster therapy and moxibustion on the back-shu points were not used in the control group. The clinical effects were observed. RESULTS: The total effective rate was 98.0% in the treatment group and 77.5% in the control group. The therapeutic effect in the treatment group was much better than that in the control group (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The body acupuncture plus auricular-plaster therapy may show better effect for intractable insomnia.
J Tradit Chin Med. 2010 Mar;30(1):13-4.
Clinical effects of acupuncture for diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
Zhang C, Ma YX, Yan Y.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effects of acupuncture for diabetic peripheral neuropathy. METHODS: Totally 65 patients were randomly divided into a treatment group of 32 cases and a control group of 33 cases. On the basis of conventional treatment of diabetes, acupuncture was used in the treatment group, and inositol was orally administered in the control group. During a 3-month treatment, changes in the symptoms were observed. RESULTS: In the treatment group, 16 cases were markedly relieved, 12 cases improved, and 4 cases failed, with a total effective rate of 87.5%. In the control group, 7 cases were markedly relieved, 14 cases improved and 12 cases failed, with a total effective rate of 63.6%. There was a significant difference in the total effective rate between the 2 groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture may show good effects for diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
Altern Ther Health Med. 2010 Mar-Apr;16(2):18-29.
Acupuncture for essential hypertension.
Kim LW, Zhu J.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of acupuncture for treatment of essential hypertension and the efficacy of acupuncture using prescription adhering to the principles of "syndrome differentiation." DATA SOURCES: Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central Register, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (September 2008). STUDY SELECTION: Randomized, controlled trials comparing acupuncture with sham acupuncture, antihypertensive drugs, Chinese herbal medicine, or exercise in essential hypertension. DATA EXTRACTION: Two reviewers independently assessed trials for inclusion, extracted data, assessed methodological quality, and extracted outcome data on blood pressure. DATA SYNTHESIS: Treatment effects were summarized as mean differences with 95% confidence intervals. Twenty trials were included: three trials were relatively rigorous while others were methodologically suboptimal. Acupuncture arms achieved significant effect modification on blood pressure compared with control arms (19 comparisons: systolic blood pressure [SBP]: mean difference -4.23 mmHg, 95% confidence intervals -6.47 to -1.99; diastolic blood pressure [DBP]: -2.53, -3.99 to -1.08), with significant heterogeneity. In high-quality trials, blood pressure was significantly lower in treatments of acupuncture plus antihypertensive drug arms than in sham-acupuncture plus hypertensive drug arms (two comparisons: SBP: -5.72 mmHg, -8.77 to -2.68; DBP: -2.80, -5.07 to -0.54), with no significant heterogeneity. As for trials using prescription adhering to the principles of syndrome differentiation, we found a significant blood pressure reduction with acupuncture arms in comparison with control arms (11 comparisons: SBP: -6.46 mmHg, -8.04 to -4.87; DBP: -3.07, -4.17 to -1.96) with no significant heterogeneity. In contrast, in trials not using prescription adhering to the principles of syndrome differentiation, we found no significant reduction in blood pressure with acupuncture arms in comparison with control arms (eight comparisons: SBP: -1.55 mmHg, -5.39 to 2.29; DBP: -2.12, -4.97 to 0.73) with significant heterogeneity. CONCLUSIONS: Because of the paucity of rigorous trials and the mixed results, these findings result in limited conclusions. More rigorously designed and powered studies are needed.
Plast Reconstr Surg. 2010 Mar;125(3):989-94.
The effect of electroacustimulation on postoperative nausea, vomiting, and pain in outpatient plastic surgery patients: a prospective, randomized, blinded, clinical trial.
Larson JD, Gutowski KA, Marcus BC, Rao VK, Avery PG, Stacey DH, Yang RZ.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Current rates of postoperative nausea and vomiting experienced by outpatient surgery patients are as high as 20 to 30 percent. Electroacustimulation therapy has been demonstrated to be effective in controlling these symptoms, but trials identifying its efficacy in the outpatient surgery population are lacking. METHODS: One hundred twenty-two patients undergoing surgical procedures at an outpatient surgery center were randomized to two treatment arms. The first arm received the standardized pharmacologic postoperative nausea and vomiting prevention typical for patients undergoing outpatient surgery, whereas in the second arm, the ReliefBand and pharmacologic measures were used. The ReliefBand is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved electroacustimulation device. Electroacustimulation is a derivative of acupuncture therapy that uses a small electrical current to stimulate acupuncture points on the human body and is thought to relieve nausea, vomiting, and pain. Outcomes measured were pain and nausea symptoms, emetic events, the need for rescue medications, and the time to discharge. RESULTS: The electroacustimulation arm reported statistically significant lower nausea scores at 30 minutes and 120 minutes postoperatively (p < 0.05). In addition, subgroup analysis demonstrated significant findings in favor of the experimental group, with anatomical subsets of surgical patients requiring less pain medication and shorter times from surgery to discharge when compared with the standard treatment. However, electroacustimulation did not have a significant effect on the amount of pain experienced by patients in any group. CONCLUSION: The authors' study demonstrates that electroacustimulation offers added protection against symptoms of postoperative nausea and vomiting in an outpatient cosmetic surgery population, representing a safe and cost-effective addition to current pharmacologic preventive measures.
Obstet Gynecol. 2010 Mar;115(3):511-20.
Acupuncture for depression during pregnancy: a randomized controlled trial.
Manber R, Schnyer RN, Lyell D, Chambers AS, Caughey AB, Druzin M, Carlyle E, Celio C, Gress JL, Huang MI, Kalista T, Martin-Okada R, Allen JJ.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To estimate the efficacy of acupuncture for depression during pregnancy in a randomized controlled trial. METHODS: A total of 150 pregnant women who met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition) criteria for major depressive disorder were randomized to receive either acupuncture specific for depression or one of two active controls: control acupuncture or massage. Treatments lasted 8 weeks (12 sessions). Junior acupuncturists, who were not told about treatment assignment, needled participants at points prescribed by senior acupuncturists. All treatments were standardized. The primary outcome was the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, administered by masked raters at baseline and after 4 and 8 weeks of treatment. Continuous data were analyzed using mixed effects models and by intent to treat. RESULTS: Fifty-two women were randomized to acupuncture specific for depression, 49 to control acupuncture, and 49 to massage. Women who received acupuncture specific for depression experienced a greater rate of decrease in symptom severity (P<.05) compared with the combined controls (Cohen's d=0.39, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.01-0.77) or control acupuncture alone (P<.05; Cohen's d=0.46, 95% CI 0.01-0.92). They also had significantly greater response rate (63.0%) than the combined controls (44.3%; P<.05; number needed to treat, 5.3; 95% CI 2.8-75.0) and control acupuncture alone (37.5%; P<.05: number needed to treat, 3.9; 95% CI 2.2-19.8). Symptom reduction and response rates did not differ significantly between controls (control acupuncture, 37.5%; massage, 50.0%). CONCLUSION: The short acupuncture protocol demonstrated symptom reduction and a response rate comparable to those observed in standard depression treatments of similar length and could be a viable treatment option for depression during pregnancy.
Ann Thorac Surg. 2010 Mar;89(3):781-6.
Cardioprotective effects of electroacupuncture pretreatment on patients undergoing heart valve replacement surgery: a randomized controlled trial.
Yang L, Yang J, Wang Q, Chen M, Lu Z, Chen S, Xiong L.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury after cardiopulmonary bypass contributes to postoperative morbidity and mortality in patients with open-heart surgery. This randomized controlled trial was designed to address the protective effects of electroacupuncture (EA) pretreatment on myocardial injury in patients undergoing heart valve replacement surgery. METHODS: Sixty patients with acquired heart valve disease were randomly allocated to the EA pretreatment group or the control group. Patients in the EA group received EA stimulus at bilateral Neiguan (PC 6), Lieque (LU 7), and Yunmen (LU 2) for 30 minutes each day for five consecutive days before surgery. Hemodynamic data, mechanical ventilation time, inotropic drug use in the intensive care unit, serum cardiac troponin I concentrations, morbidities, and mortalities were compared between the two groups. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00732459. RESULTS: At 6 hours, 12 hours, and 24 hours after reperfusion, levels of serum cardiac troponin I were significantly decreased in the EA group (5.74 +/- 0.67, 6.22 +/- 0.66, and 5.21 +/- 0.58) compared with that in the control group (7.89 +/- 0.74, 8.34 +/- 1.08, and 7.57 +/- 0.89, p < 0.05). The EA pretreatment significantly reduced overall serum troponin I release at 6 hours, 12 hours, and 24 hours after aortic cross-clamp removal. Meanwhile, EA pretreatment also reduced the inotrope score at 12 hours, 24 hours, and 48 hours after the intensive care unit arrival and shortened intensive care unit stay time (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrated that EA pretreatment may alleviate cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury in adult patients undergoing heart valve replacements. This simple and convenient treatment has the potential to be used in the clinic for reducing myocardial injury in patients with heart valve replacement surgery.
Stroke. 2010 Apr;41(4):e171-9. Epub 2010 Feb 18.
Acupuncture in poststroke rehabilitation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials.
Wu P, Mills E, Moher D, Seely D.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Acupuncture is a low-risk treatment with purported claims of effectiveness for poststroke rehabilitation. To comprehensively assess the efficacy of acupuncture in poststroke rehabilitation, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of all randomized clinical trials of acupuncture for poststroke rehabilitation. METHODS: We searched 7 English and 2 Chinese databases from inception to September 2009. Eligible studies included randomized clinical trials that evaluated the clinical efficacy of acupuncture in adult patients with disability after stroke. We extracted data on trial quality, protocol, and outcomes assessed. A summary OR was calculated based on pooled dichotomous results. I(2) was used to infer heterogeneity and we conducted metaregression to determine if specific covariates explained heterogeneity. RESULTS: Thirty-five articles written in Chinese and 21 articles written in English were included. The overall quality of the studies was "fair" and most studies were small (median n=86; range, 16 to 241). The majority (80%) of the studies reported a significant benefit from acupuncture; however, there was some evidence of publication bias. In 38 trials, data were available for meta-analysis and metaregression, yielding an OR in favor of acupuncture compared with controls (OR=4.33, 95% CI: 3.09 to 6.08; I2=72.4%). Randomization, modes of delivery, method of control, study source country, and reporting of randomization may explain some of the heterogeneity observed between the studies. CONCLUSIONS: Randomized clinical trials demonstrate that acupuncture may be effective in the treatment of poststroke rehabilitation. Poor study quality and the possibility of publication bias hinder the strength of this recommendation and argue for a large, transparent, well-conducted randomized clinical trial to support this claim and implement changes to clinical practice.
Menopause. 2010 Mar;17(2):262-8.
The Acupuncture on Hot Flashes Among Menopausal Women study: observational follow-up results at 6 and 12 months.
Borud EK, Alraek T, White A, Grimsgaard S.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The previously published Acupuncture on Hot Flashes Among Menopausal Women study compared the effectiveness of individualized acupuncture treatment plus self-care versus self-care alone on hot flashes and health-related quality of life in postmenopausal women. This article reports on the observational follow-up results at 6 and 12 months. METHODS: The Acupuncture on Hot Flashes Among Menopausal Women study was a pragmatic, multicenter randomized controlled trial with two parallel arms, conducted in 2006 to 2007. The 267 participants were postmenopausal women experiencing, on average, 12.6 hot flashes per 24 h. The acupuncture group received 10 individualized acupuncture treatments during 12 weeks and advice on self-care, whereas the control group received only advice on self-care. Hot flash frequency and intensity (0-10 scale) and hours of sleep per night were registered in a diary. Health-related quality of life was assessed by the Women's Health Questionnaire. RESULTS: From baseline to 6 months, the mean reduction in hot flash frequency per 24 hours was 5.3 in the acupuncture group and 5.0 in the control group, a nonsignificant difference of 0.3. At 12 months, the mean reduction in hot flash frequency was 6.0 in the acupuncture group and 5.8 in the control group, a nonsignificant difference of 0.2. Differences in quality-of-life scores were not statistically significant at 6 and 12 months. CONCLUSION: The statistically significant differences between the study groups found at 12 weeks were no longer present at 6 and 12 months. Acupuncture can contribute to a more rapid reduction in vasomotor symptoms and increase in health-related quality of life in postmenopausal women but probably has no long-term effects.
Menopause. 2010 Mar;17(2):269-80.
Effects of acupuncture on hot flashes in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women--a multicenter randomized clinical trial.
Kim KH, Kang KW, Kim DI, Kim HJ, Yoon HM, Lee JM, Jeong JC, Lee MS, Jung HJ, Choi SM.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture plus usual care for relief of hot flashes and menopause-related symptoms compared with usual care alone in perimenopausal or postmenopausal women. METHODS: A multicenter, randomized, controlled trial was conducted. Perimenopausal or postmenopausal women with average hot flash scores of 10 or higher during the week before the screening visit were enrolled and randomly divided into two groups. The treatment group received 12 sessions of acupuncture and maintained usual care for 4 weeks, whereas the control group underwent usual care alone. Hot flash scores were calculated by multiplying frequency by severity of hot flashes recorded in a daily diary. The primary outcome was the mean change in the average 24-hour hot flash score at week 4 from baseline. The secondary outcome was the mean change in menopause-related symptoms as estimated by the Menopause Rating Scale questionnaire at week 4. Follow-up assessment at week 8 was conducted in the treatment group only. RESULTS: The mean change in the average 24-hour hot flash score was -16.57 in the treatment group (n = 116) and -6.93 in the control group (n = 59), a difference of 9.64 (P < 0.0001). The total Menopause Rating Scale score, as well as the subscale scores for the psychological, somatic, and urogenital dimensions of menopause, showed significant improvement in the acupuncture group compared with the control group (P < 0.001). The mean change in the treatment group in the primary outcome was -17.58 at week 8. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that acupuncture in addition to usual care is associated with marked clinical improvement in hot flashes and menopause-related symptoms in perimenopausal or postmenopausal women.
Marts 2010
Medline nyt
Annette Jørgensen & Palle Rosted
Der er publiceret 10 RCT, reviews, kliniske undersøgelser og metaanalyser de sidste 3 måneder, nedenfor er abstrakts for de mest relevante.
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010 Jan 20;(1):CD004046.
Acupuncture for depression.
Smith CA, Hay PP, Macpherson H.
Centre for Complementary Medicine Research, The University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith South DC, New South Wales, Australia, 1797.
Update of:
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2005;(2):CD004046.
BACKGROUND: There is interest from the community in the use of self help and complementary therapies for depression. This review examined the currently available evidence supporting the use of acupuncture to treat depression. OBJECTIVES: To examine the effectiveness and adverse effects of acupuncture in the treatment for depression. SEARCH STRATEGY: The following databases were searched: CCDAN-CTR, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE (1966 to Dec 2008), EMBASE (1980 to Dec 2008), PSYCINFO (1874 to Dec 2008), the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness (DARE), CINAHL (1980 to Dec 2008), Wan Fang database (to Dec 2008). The following terms were used: depression, depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder and acupuncture. SELECTION CRITERIA: Inclusion criteria included all published and unpublished randomised controlled trials comparing acupuncture with sham acupuncture, no treatment, pharmacological treatment, other structured psychotherapies (cognitive behavioural therapy, psychotherapy or counselling), or standard care. The following modes of treatment were included: acupuncture, electro acupuncture or laser acupuncture. The participants included adult men and women with depression defined by clinical state description, or diagnosed by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV), Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC), International Classification of Disease (ICD) or the Criteria for Classification and Diagnosis of Mental Diseases CCMD-3-R. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Meta-analyses were performed using relative risk for dichotomous outcomes and standard mean differences for continuous outcomes, with 95% confidence intervals. Primary outcomes were reduction in the severity of depression, measured by self rating scales, or by clinician rated scales and an improvement in depression defined as remission versus no remission. MAIN RESULTS: This review is an update and now contains data from 30 studies. Following recent searches, 23 new studies have been added and a further 11 trials were excluded (due to suboptimal doses of medication, no clinical outcomes, insufficient reporting). Thirty trials with 2,812 participants are included in the meta-analysis.There was a high risk of bias in the majority of trials. There was insufficient evidence of a consistent beneficial effect from acupuncture compared with a wait list control or sham acupuncture control. Two trials found acupuncture may have an additive benefit when combined with medication compared with medication alone. A subgroup of participants with depression as a co-morbidity experienced a reduction in depression with manual acupuncture compared with SSRIs (RR 1.66, 95%CI 1.03, 2.68) (three trials, 94 participants). The majority of trials compared manual and electro acupuncture with medication and found no effect between groups. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: We found insufficient evidence to recommend the use of acupuncture for people with depression. The results are limited by the high risk of bias in the majority of trials meeting inclusion criteria.
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010 Jan 20;(1):CD003974.
Placebo interventions for all clinical conditions.
Hróbjartsson A, Gøtzsche PC.
The Nordic Cochrane Centre, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, 3343, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2100.
Update of:
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2004;(3):CD003974.
BACKGROUND: Placebo interventions are often claimed to substantially improve patient-reported and observer-reported outcomes in many clinical conditions, but most reports on effects of placebos are based on studies that have not randomised patients to placebo or no treatment. Two previous versions of this review from 2001 and 2004 found that placebo interventions in general did not have clinically important effects, but that there were possible beneficial effects on patient-reported outcomes, especially pain. Since then several relevant trials have been published. OBJECTIVES: Our primary aims were to assess the effect of placebo interventions in general across all clinical conditions, and to investigate the effects of placebo interventions on specific clinical conditions. Our secondary aims were to assess whether the effect of placebo treatments differed for patient-reported and observer-reported outcomes, and to explore other reasons for variations in effect. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, The Cochrane Library Issue 4, 2007), MEDLINE (1966 to March 2008), EMBASE (1980 to March 2008), PsycINFO (1887 to March 2008) and Biological Abstracts (1986 to March 2008). We contacted experts on placebo research, and read references in the included trials. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomised placebo trials with a no-treatment control group investigating any health problem. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted data. We contacted study authors for additional information. Trials with binary data were summarised using relative risk (a value of less than 1 indicates a beneficial effect of placebo), and trials with continuous outcomes were summarised using standardised mean difference (a negative value indicates a beneficial effect of placebo). MAIN RESULTS: Outcome data were available in 202 out of 234 included trials, investigating 60 clinical conditions. We regarded the risk of bias as low in only 16 trials (8%), five of which had binary outcomes.In 44 studies with binary outcomes (6041 patients), there was moderate heterogeneity (P < 0.001; I(2) 45%) but no clear difference in effects between small and large trials (symmetrical funnel plot). The overall pooled effect of placebo was a relative risk of 0.93 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.88 to 0.99). The pooled relative risk for patient-reported outcomes was 0.93 (95% CI 0.86 to 1.00) and for observer-reported outcomes 0.93 (95% CI 0.85 to 1.02). We found no statistically significant effect of placebo interventions in four clinical conditions that had been investigated in three trials or more: pain, nausea, smoking, and depression, but confidence intervals were wide. The effect on pain varied considerably, even among trials with low risk of bias.In 158 trials with continuous outcomes (10,525 patients), there was moderate heterogeneity (P < 0.001; I(2) 42%), and considerable variation in effects between small and large trials (asymmetrical funnel plot). It is therefore a questionable procedure to pool all the trials, and we did so mainly as a basis for exploring causes for heterogeneity. We found an overall effect of placebo treatments, standardised mean difference (SMD) -0.23 (95% CI -0.28 to -0.17). The SMD for patient-reported outcomes was -0.26 (95% CI -0.32 to -0.19), and for observer-reported outcomes, SMD -0.13 (95% CI -0.24 to -0.02). We found an effect on pain, SMD -0.28 (95% CI -0.36 to -0.19)); nausea, SMD -0.25 (-0.46 to -0.04)), asthma (-0.35 (-0.70 to -0.01)), and phobia (SMD -0.63 (95% CI -1.17 to -0.08)). The effect on pain was very variable, also among trials with low risk of bias. Four similarly-designed acupuncture trials conducted by an overlapping group of authors reported large effects (SMD -0.68 (-0.85 to -0.50)) whereas three other pain trials reported low or no effect (SMD -0.13 (-0.28 to 0.03)). The pooled effect on nausea was small, but consistent. The effects on phobia and asthma were very uncertain due to high risk of bias. There was no statistically significant effect of placebo interventions in the seven other clinical conditions investigated in three trials or more: smoking, dementia, depression, obesity, hypertension, insomnia and anxiety, but confidence intervals were wide.Meta-regression analyses showed that larger effects of placebo interventions were associated with physical placebo interventions (e.g. sham acupuncture), patient-involved outcomes (patient-reported outcomes and observer-reported outcomes involving patient cooperation), small trials, and trials with the explicit purpose of studying placebo. Larger effects of placebo were also found in trials that did not inform patients about the possible placebo intervention. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: We did not find that placebo interventions have important clinical effects in general. However, in certain settings placebo interventions can influence patient-reported outcomes, especially pain and nausea, though it is difficult to distinguish patient-reported effects of placebo from biased reporting. The effect on pain varied, even among trials with low risk of bias, from negligible to clinically important. Variations in the effect of placebo were partly explained by variations in how trials were conducted and how patients were informed.
J Clin Oncol. 2010 Feb 1;28(4):634-40. Epub 2009 Dec 28.
Acupuncture versus venlafaxine for the management of vasomotor symptoms in patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer: a randomized controlled trial.
Walker EM, Rodriguez AI, Kohn B, Ball RM, Pegg J, Pocock JR, Nunez R, Peterson E, Jakary S, Levine RA.
Department of Radiation Oncology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI 48202, USA. ewalker1@hfhs.org
PURPOSE: Vasomotor symptoms are common adverse effects of antiestrogen hormone treatment in conventional breast cancer care. Hormone replacement therapy is contraindicated in patients with breast cancer. Venlafaxine (Effexor), the therapy of choice for these symptoms, has numerous adverse effects. Recent studies suggest acupuncture may be effective in reducing vasomotor symptoms in menopausal women. This randomized controlled trial tested whether acupuncture reduces vasomotor symptoms and produces fewer adverse effects than venlafaxine. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty patients were randomly assigned to receive 12 weeks of acupuncture (n = 25) or venlafaxine (n = 25) treatment. Health outcomes were measured for up to 1 year post-treatment. RESULTS: Both groups exhibited significant decreases in hot flashes, depressive symptoms, and other quality-of-life symptoms, including significant improvements in mental health from pre- to post-treatment. These changes were similar in both groups, indicating that acupuncture was as effective as venlafaxine. By 2 weeks post-treatment, the venlafaxine group experienced significant increases in hot flashes, whereas hot flashes in the acupuncture group remained at low levels. The venlafaxine group experienced 18 incidences of adverse effects (eg, nausea, dry mouth, dizziness, anxiety), whereas the acupuncture group experienced no negative adverse effects. Acupuncture had the additional benefit of increased sex drive in some women, and most reported an improvement in their energy, clarity of thought, and sense of well-being. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture appears to be equivalent to drug therapy in these patients. It is a safe, effective and durable treatment for vasomotor symptoms secondary to long-term antiestrogen hormone use in patients with breast cancer.
Fertil Steril. 2009 Dec;92(6):1870-9. Epub 2008 Dec 31.
Changes in serum cortisol and prolactin associated with acupuncture during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation in women undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer treatment.
Magarelli PC, Cridennda DK, Cohen M.
Reproductive Medicine and Fertility Centers, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80910, USA. info@475-baby.com
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether changes in serum cortisol (CORT) and PRL are affected by acupuncture (Ac) in Ac-treated IVF patients. DESIGN: Prospective cohort clinical study. SETTING: Private practice reproductive endocrinology and infertility clinic and private practice acupuncture consortium. PATIENT(S): Sixty-seven reproductive-age infertile women undergoing IVF. INTERVENTION(S): Blood samples were obtained from all consenting new infertility patients and serum CORT and serum PRL were obtained prospectively. Patients were grouped as controls (IVF with no Ac) and treated (IVF with Ac) according to acupuncture protocols derived from randomized controlled trials. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Serum levels of CORT and PRL were measured and synchronized with medication stimulation days of the IVF cycle (e.g., day 2 of stimulation, day 3, etc.). Reproductive outcomes were collected according to Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology protocols, and results were compared between controls and those patients treated with Ac. RESULT(S): CORT levels in Ac group were significantly higher on IVF medication days 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, and 13 compared with controls. PRL levels in the Ac group were significantly higher on IVF medication days 5, 6, 7, and 8 compared with controls. CONCLUSION(S): In this study, there appears to be a beneficial regulation of CORT and PRL in the Ac group during the medication phase of the IVF treatment with a trend toward more normal fertile cycle dynamics.
