RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Acupuncture improves exercise tolerance of patients with heart failure: a placebo-controlled pilot study
JF Heart
JO Heart
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Cardiovascular Society
SP 1396
OP 1400
DO 10.1136/hrt.2009.187930
VO 96
IS 17
A1 Arnt V Kristen
A1 Boris Schuhmacher
A1 Kathrin Strych
A1 Dirk Lossnitzer
A1 Hans-Christoph Friederich
A1 Thomas Hilbel
A1 Markus Haass
A1 Hugo A Katus
A1 Antonius Schneider
A1 Konrad M Streitberger
A1 Johannes Backs
YR 2010
UL http://heart.bmj.com/content/96/17/1396.abstract
AB Background Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a complex clinical syndrome with autonomic dysbalance and increased plasma levels of inflammatory cytokines, which further worsen the syndrome. Experimental data have shown that stimulation of certain acupoints decreases autonomic dysbalance.Objective To test the therapeutic potential of acupuncture for life-threatening diseases such as CHF.Methods 17 stable patients with CHF (New York Heart Association class II–III, ejection fraction <40%) receiving optimised heart failure medication were randomised into a verum acupuncture (VA) and placebo acupuncture (PA) group. Cardiopulmonary function, heart rate variability and quality of life were explored.Results No improvements of the cardiac ejection fraction or peak oxygen uptake were observed, but the ambulated 6 min walk distance was remarkably increased in the VA group (+32±7 m) but not the PA group (−1±11 m; p<0.01). Accordingly, post-exercise recovery after maximal exercise and the VE/VCO2 slope, a marker of ventilatory efficiency, were improved after VA but not PA. Furthermore, heart rate variability increased after VA, but decreased after PA. The ‘general health’ score and ‘body pain’ score of the quality-of-life questionnaire SF-36 tended to be improved after VA.Conclusion Acupuncture may become an additional therapeutic strategy to improve the exercise tolerance of patients with CHF, potentially by improving skeletal muscle function.