Abstract
Objectives: The objective of the study was to test whether acupuncture improves endothelial dysfunction in patients with hypertension and compare the effects of different acupoints to find out which one is the most suitable for the long-term follow-up study. Design: This study is a pilot, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial. Subjects were randomly assigned to a sequence of four acupuncture treatment phases, each for 15 minutes with a 7-day washout period in between. Acupuncture needles were inserted at bilateral ST 36; PC 6; ST 36 plus PC 6; and placebo points. Subjects: Fifteen (15) patients with essential hypertension were the subjects. Outcome measures: Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and blood pressure were assessed before and after acupuncture treatment. Results: FMD significantly improved with the acupuncture treatment at ST 36 (0.2660.078mm to 0.3060.077mm, p¼0.003) and ST 36 plus PC 6 (0.2840.098mm to 0.3320.103mm, p