Clinical Observations On Acupuncture Treating Anxiety State Of Essential Hypertension Patients

ObjectiveTo analyze the clinical efficacy of acupuncture treating anxiety state of essential hypertension patients and objectively evaluate the influence on quality of life of these patients, in order to offer preliminary evidences for clinical treatment of acupuncture.MethodA clinical randomized, single-blinded, controlled trial on the clinical observation was conducted in Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.60patients who met the inclusion criteria were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n=30) treated with conventional tube needle (0.35mm×40mm) and a control group (n=30) treated with placebo needle (0.35mm×50mm). Both groups were treated by needling on bilateral Hegu(LI4) and Taichong (LR3) combined with deep breath. Each treatment lasts for30minutes. The whole treatment process included12times of treatment in6weeks with2times per week. The outcomes were evaluated by Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Traditional Chinese Medicine Symptoms Grading at baseline, after6times of treatment and after the whole treatment process. World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF) was assessed at baseline and after all intervention. Meanwhile, the changes of blood pressure were measured during the treatment. The data were processed with t test, chi-square test and sum rank test.Result1. At6th time and12th time of treatment, the HAMA scores and SAS scores of both groups declined with significant differences (P<0.01), And the inter-roup comparison of HAMA scores and SAS scores also had significant differences (P<0.01). The total effective rate of the intervention group was70%, while that of the control group was33.33%. Therefore, the treatment of the intervention group was significantly better than that of the control group(P<0.05).2. Comparing with the scores at baseline, the scores of WHOQOL-BREF scale of intervention group significantly increased in all the four dimensions (P<0.01), however, the scores of control group significantly raised only in physical, society and environment dimensions (P<0.01). There is no significant difference in the scale scores between two groups (P>0.05).3. Comparing with baseline, the systolic pressure and diastolic pressure of patients from the intervention group lowered with significant differences after intervention duration.(P<0.01). However, no significant differences could be found in the change of both systolic and diastolic pressure from the control group.(P>0.05). The group comparison has significant differences (P<0.01).4. The scores of Traditional Chinese Medicine Symptoms Grading of both groups significantly lowered when finished the whole intervention duration.(P<0.05). Comparison between two groups has significant differences (P<0.01).The symptom scores of impetuosity, being panic and uneasy, dry and bitter mouth, sense of suppression and pain in the chest, being flustered and insomnia and dreamful sleep in intervention group lowered more widely than those in control group with significant differences.(P<0.05).ConelusionThe clinical research evidenced that acupuncture can effectively improve the anxiety state of essential hypertension patients, as well as quality of life and TCM symptoms. Moreover, acupuncture can lower the blood pressure to a certain degree. More high-quality trails need to be conducted to prove the clinical efficacy.