Acupoint magnetotherapy as an adjunctive treatment for mild to moderate hypertension with yin deficiency and yang hyperactivity: a randomized controlled trial

To observe the clinical efficacy of acupoint magnetotherapy as an adjunctive treatment for mild to moderate hypertension with yin deficiency and yang hyperactivity.

A total of 66 patients with mild to moderate hypertension of yin deficiency and yang hyperactivity were randomly divided into a magnetotherapy group (33 cases, 3 cases dropped out) and a non-magnetotherapy group (33 cases, 4 cases dropped out). Both groups were given antihypertensive drugs based on their clinical conditions. The magnetotherapy group and the non-magnetotherapy group wore surface magnetic therapy bands with or without magnetic poles, respectively, at unilateral Neiguan (PC6) and Waiguan (TE5). Intervention was administered once daily, 8 h each time, for a continuous period of 4 weeks. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome score, Duʹs hypertension quality of life (QOL) scale score, office blood pressure, and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure were assessed before and after the intervention, and the clinical efficacy was evaluated after intervention.

After the intervention, both groups showed reductions in TCM syndrome scores, office systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) compared with those before intervention (P＜0.001), and their Duʹs QOL scores increased (P＜0.001). The magnetotherapy group had lower TCM syndrome score and office SBP and DBP than those in the non-magnetotherapy group (P＜0.001), while Duʹs QOL score was higher (P＜0.001). After the intervention, all 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure indexes in the magnetotherapy group were reduced compared with those before intervention (P＜0.05); in the non-magnetotherapy group, 24-hour average diastolic blood pressure (24hDBP), nighttime average systolic blood pressure (nSBP), and nighttime average diastolic blood pressure (nDBP) were reduced (P＜0.05). The 24-hour average systolic blood pressure (24hSBP), 24hDBP, daytime average systolic blood pressure (dSBP), daytime average diastolic blood pressure (dDBP), and nSBP after intervention in the magnetotherapy group were lower than those in the non-magnetotherapy group (P＜0.05). The total effective rate in the magnetotherapy group was 93.3% (28/30), which was higher than 75.9% (22/29) in the non-magnetotherapy group (P＜0.05).

Acupoint magnetotherapy as an adjunctive treatment for mild to moderate hypertension with yin deficiency and yang hyperactivity could effectively alleviate clinical symptoms and TCM syndromes, improve quality of life, and reduce blood pressure level.