Background: Dyspnea on exertion (DOE) is a major symptom of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and is difficult to control. This study was performedtodeterminewhetheracupunctureissuperiorto placebo needling in improving DOE in patients with COPD who are receiving standard medication.
Methods: Sixty-eightof111patientsfromtheKansairegion of Japan who were diagnosed as having COPD and were receiving standard medication participated in a randomized, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial(July1, 2006, through March 31, 2009) in which the patients, evaluators, and statistician were unaware of the random allocation. Participants were randomly assigned to traditionalacupuncture(real acupuncture group,n=34)orplaceboneedling(placeboacupuncturegroup,n=34).Both groups received real or placebo needling at thes ame acupoints once a week for 12 weeks. The primary end point wasthemodifiedBorgscalescoreevaluatedimmediately after the 6-minute walk test. Measurements were obtained at baseline and after 12 weeks of treatment.
Result: After 12 weeks, the Borg scale score after the 6-minute walk test was significantly better in the real acupuncture group compared with the placebo acupuncture group (mean[SD]difference from base line by analysis of covariance,−3.6[1.9]vs0.4[1.2];mean difference between groups by analysis of covariance,−3.58;95%CI, −4.27 to −2.90). Patients with COPD who received real acupuncturealsoexperiencedimprovementinthe6-minute walk distance during exercise, indicating better exercise tolerance and reduced DOE.
Conclusion: This study clearly demonstrates that acupuncture is a useful adjunctive therapy in reducing DOE in patients with COPD.
Autoren: Masao Suzuki, LAc, PhD; Shigeo Muro, MD, PhD; Yuki Ando, MSc; Takashi Omori, PhD; Tetsuhiro Shiota, MD, PhD; Kazuo Endo, MD; Susumu Sato, MD, PhD; Kensaku Aihara, MD; Masataka Matsumoto, MD; Shinko Suzuki, MD; Ryo Itotani, MD; Manabu Ishitoko, MD; Yoshikazu Hara, MD; Masaya Takemura, MD, PhD; Tetsuya Ueda, MD, PhD; Hitoshi Kagioka, MD, PhD; Masataka Hirabayashi, MD; Motonari Fukui, MD, PhD; Michiaki Mishima, MD, PhD
Published in: ARCH INTERN MED/VOL 172 (NO. 11), JUNE 11, 2012
Quelle: American Medical Association