Effects of electrical stimulation of acupuncture points on blood pressure.

OBJECTIVE: Arterial hypertension is considered a major contributor to coronary arterial disease. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of Hans electrical stimulation of acupuncture points on blood pressure. METHODS: Subjects with normal and elevated blood pressure were recruited and randomly assigned into control and experimental groups. Only the experimental subjects received active Hans electrical stimulation on 2 acupuncture points for 30 minutes each session, twice a week for 5 weeks. RESULTS: Twenty-seven subjects (17 male) were recruited and completed the study. The average age of the subjects was 25 +/- 5 years. The youngest subject was 20 years old and the oldest was 36 years old. After using the Hans electrical stimulation on acupuncture points for 5 weeks, the systolic blood pressure decreased significantly in the experimental group with active treatment. The mean systolic blood pressure was 117.8 +/- 4.2 mm Hg before the treatment and was reduced to 110.8 +/- 5.5 mm Hg (P < .05) in the third week and to 110.1 +/- 5.8 mm Hg in the fifth week (P < .05). The mean diastolic blood pressure was 78.1 +/- 5.0 mm Hg before treatment and was reduced to 77.4 +/- 4.3 mm Hg (P > .05) in the third week and to 74.8 +/- 4.3 mm Hg (P > .05) in the fifth week, but both did not reach statistically significant levels. The systolic and diastolic blood pressures in the control group did not show statistically significant changes. The mean systolic blood pressure was 115.6 +/- 13.3 mm Hg before the treatment and was reduced to 113.0 +/- 12.6 mm Hg (P > 0.05) in the third week and to 112.2 +/- 10.3 mm Hg in the fifth week (P > .05). The mean diastolic blood pressure was 76.4 +/- 7.9 mm Hg before treatment and was reduced to 76.5 +/- 6.9 mm Hg (P > .05) in the third week and to 73.9 +/- 5.4 mm Hg (P > .05) in the fifth week. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that Hans electrical stimulation of acupuncture points reduced systolic blood pressure but not the diastolic blood pressure in the current subject population with normal and elevated blood pressure.