Acupuncture for patients with mild hypertension: study protocol of an open-label multicenter randomized controlled trial.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Several studies using acupuncture to treat essential hypertension have been carried out. However, whether acupuncture is efficacious for hypertension is still controversial. Therefore, this trial aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for patients with mild hypertension.

Methods/design

This is a large scale, open-label, multicenter, randomized controlled clinical trial with four parallel arms. We will recruit 428 hypertensive patients with systolic blood pressure (SBP) between 140 and 159 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) between 90 and 99 mmHg. The participants will be randomly assigned to four different groups (three acupuncture groups and one waiting list group) (1).The affected meridian acupuncture group (n = 107) is treated with acupoints

SUBMITTER: Li J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4225756 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature