1
|
Chang HW, Lin WD, Shih PJ, Peng SL, Hsu CY, Lin CL, Liao WL, Sun MF. Acupuncture Decreases Risk of Hypertension in Patients with Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria in Taiwan: A Nationwide Study. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:healthcare11101510. [PMID: 37239796 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11101510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) have a higher risk of developing hypertension. This study aimed to determine whether acupuncture could decrease the risk of hypertension in patients with CSU. We enrolled patients newly diagnosed with CSU between 1 January 2008, and 31 December 2018, from the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database. The claims data were assessed from the index date to 31 December 2019. A Cox regression model was used to compare the hazard ratios (HRs) of the two cohorts. The cumulative incidence of hypertension was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. After propensity score matching with a 1:1 ratio, 43,547 patients with CSU who received acupuncture were matched with 43,547 patients with CSU who did not receive acupuncture in this study. After considering potential confounding factors, patients who received acupuncture had a significantly lower risk of hypertension than those in the control group (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.56, 95% confidence interval = 0.54-0.58). Patients who received medications combined with acupuncture tended to have the lowest risk of hypertension. This study revealed that acupuncture decreases the risk of hypertension in patients with CSU in Taiwan. The detailed mechanisms can be further clarified through prospective studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heng-Wei Chang
- Graduate Institute of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 404333, Taiwan
| | - Wei-De Lin
- Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 404327, Taiwan
| | - Pai-Jun Shih
- Erlin Four Seasons Dermatology Clinic, Erlin Township, Changhua County 526022, Taiwan
| | - Shin-Lei Peng
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Science, China Medical University, Taichung 404333, Taiwan
| | - Chung-Y Hsu
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung 404333, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Li Lin
- Management Office for Health Data, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 404327, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Ling Liao
- Graduate Institute of Integrated Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 404333, Taiwan
- Center for Personalized Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 404327, Taiwan
| | - Mao-Feng Sun
- Graduate Institute of Acupuncture Science, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 404333, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Liao CC, Chien CH, Shih YH, Tsai FJ, Li JM. Acupuncture Is Effective at Reducing the Risk of Stroke in Patients with Migraines: A Real-World, Large-Scale Cohort Study with 19-Years of Follow-Up. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:1690. [PMID: 36767053 PMCID: PMC9914783 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20031690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Migraines are common headache disorders and risk factors for subsequent strokes. Acupuncture has been widely used in the treatment of migraines; however, few studies have examined whether its use reduces the risk of strokes in migraineurs. This study explored the long-term effects of acupuncture treatment on stroke risk in migraineurs using national real-world data. We collected new migraine patients from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2017. Using 1:1 propensity-score matching, we assigned patients to either an acupuncture or non-acupuncture cohort and followed up until the end of 2018. The incidence of stroke in the two cohorts was compared using the Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Each cohort was composed of 1354 newly diagnosed migraineurs with similar baseline characteristics. Compared with the non-acupuncture cohort, the acupuncture cohort had a significantly reduced risk of stroke (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.4; 95% confidence interval, 0.35-0.46). The Kaplan-Meier model showed a significantly lower cumulative incidence of stroke in migraine patients who received acupuncture during the 19-year follow-up (log-rank test, p < 0.001). Acupuncture confers protective benefits on migraineurs by reducing the risk of stroke. Our results provide new insights for clinicians and public health experts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chung-Chih Liao
- Department of Post-Baccalaureate Veterinary Medicine, Asia University, Taichung 41354, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Hsien Chien
- Department of Post-Baccalaureate Veterinary Medicine, Asia University, Taichung 41354, Taiwan
| | - Ying-Hsiu Shih
- Management Office for Health Data, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 40201, Taiwan
- College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
| | - Fuu-Jen Tsai
- School of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
- Division of Medical Genetics, China Medical University Children’s Hospital, Taichung 40447, Taiwan
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Asia University, Taichung 41354, Taiwan
| | - Jung-Miao Li
- School of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
- Department of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 40447, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Li P, Zheng H, Chen Y, Liu Z, He J. Knowledge Mapping of Acupuncture for Fibromyalgia from 1990 to 2022: A Bibliometric Analysis. J Pain Res 2022; 15:2405-2426. [PMID: 36003289 PMCID: PMC9394785 DOI: 10.2147/jpr.s379699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Fibromyalgia is a rheumatic disease with no specific laboratory markers and is insensitive to hormonal drugs and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs commonly used to treat rheumatism. Guidelines recommend that non-pharmacological therapy should be the first-line treatment for fibromyalgia. Since the publication of the first diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia in 1990, studies on acupuncture for fibromyalgia have been reported periodically. This study aims to explore the intellectual landscape of acupuncture for fibromyalgia since 1990, and to identify research trends and fronts in this field. Methods The Web of Science Core Collection Database was searched for publications on acupuncture for fibromyalgia from 1990 to 2022. VOSviewer and CiteSpace were used to analyze the annual publication, countries, institutions, authors and cited authors, journals and cited journals, references and keywords. Results A total of 280 publications were retrieved, and the number of publications showed an overall upward trend. The United States was the most productive country. China Medical University was the institution with the most publications. Lin Yi-wen was the most prolific author, while Wolfe was the most cited author. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine was the journal in which most of the research was published, while Pain was the most cited journal. An article by Wolfe (1990) had the most citations, but an article by Crofford (2001) had the highest centrality. The four most frequently used keywords in the included articles were mechanism, spinal cord, activation and sensitivity. Conclusion Acupuncture can effectively relieve pain in patients with fibromyalgia and improve accompanying symptoms such as anxiety and depression. However, the design of clinical trials still needs to be optimized to better verify the efficacy of acupuncture on various clinical symptoms of fibromyalgia. Exploring the central analgesic mechanism of acupuncture on fibromyalgia is also the focus research direction now and future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peize Li
- The First Clinical School of Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Huanchi Zheng
- Guangdong Second Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuanfang Chen
- The First Clinical School of Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhaoxi Liu
- Clinical Medical College of Acupuncture Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun He
- The First Clinical School of Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Qiu X, Yao XJ, Han SN, Wu YY, Ou ZJ, Li TS, Zhang H. Acupuncture Reduces the Risk of Dysphagia in Stroke Patients: A Propensity Score-Matched Cohort Study. Front Neurosci 2022; 15:791964. [PMID: 35069105 PMCID: PMC8770751 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.791964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Post-stroke dysphagia (PSD) affects the quality of life in stroke patients, impairs their rehabilitation ability, and causes other complications following stroke. Currently, there is currently some understanding of PSD risk factors, but its protective factors remain largely unknown. Objective: To analyze the effects of acupuncture (AP) on dysphagia in stroke patients and explore its potential as a preventive therapy. Methods: Patients with a diagnosis of stroke from 2010 to 2019 were selected and followed until 2020, utilizing factors such as age, gender, stroke location, stroke type, and baseline comorbidity. To compare the incidence of dysphagia, equal numbers of stroke patients treated with and without AP (n = 1,809) were matched by 1:1 propensity scoring. The Cox proportional hazards model and Kaplan-Meier method were used to assess the risk of dysphagia as an outcome measure. Results: The stroke patients treated with AP had a lower risk of dysphagia after adjusting for age, gender, stroke location, stroke type, and baseline comorbidity [adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) = 0.43, 95% confidence interval = 0.37-0.49] compared with those in the non-AP cohort. AP also decreased the risk of PSD among different gender groups. The risk ratios were AHR = 0.45 and AHR = 0.33 for males and females, respectively. AP also reduced the risk for PSD among different age groups. The risk ratios were AHR = 0.20, AHR = 0.37, AHR = 0.41, and AHR = 0.45 for the 18-39, 40-59, 60-79, and >80 years-old groups. Regarding stroke types (ischemic, hemorrhagic, and mixed type), patients treated with AP had a lower risk (AHR = 0.47, 0.28 and 0.17, respectively). With respect to stroke location, the risk of PSD in AP-treated patients was decreased regardless of location: brain stem (AHR = 0.41), diencephalon (AHR = 0.13), or multiple lesions (AHR = 0.40), the risk of PSD in AP-treated patients was decreased. For all baseline comorbidities, AP attenuated the risk of dysphagia. The cumulative incidence of dysphagia was remarkably lower in the AP group than in the non-AP group (log-rank test, P = 0.000). Limitations: First, this was a single-center clinical retrospective study. Second, we did not classify the severity of stroke and dysphagia. Third, all data were extracted manually. Lastly, the sample size was relatively small. Thus, future studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to verify our findings. Conclusion: Acupuncture treatment attenuates the risk of dysphagia in stroke patients. Future research should increase the sample size and elaborate further on the details of the AP protocol.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Qiu
- Clinical Medical College of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Jie Yao
- Clinical Medical College of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Sheng-Nan Han
- Clinical Medical College of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yun-Yun Wu
- Clinical Medical College of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zeng-Jian Ou
- Clinical Medical College of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tian-Shi Li
- First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- Clinical Medical College of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Chen KY, Huang MC, Lin CL, Lee YC, Wu MY, Yen HR. Acupuncture Treatment is Associated with a Decreased Risk of Dementia in Patients with Depression: A Propensity Score-Matched Cohort Study. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2021; 17:3255-3266. [PMID: 34764650 PMCID: PMC8575370 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s331026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Depression is one of the most disabling disorders, which causes long-term complications such as neurodegenerative disorder and cerebrovascular disease. Some patients with depression seek acupuncture treatment. We aimed to investigate the association between acupuncture treatment and the risk of dementia in patients with depression from the perspective of real-world evidence. METHODS Patients over 18 years old and newly diagnosed with depression between 1997 and 2010 were selected from the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database and followed up until the end of 2013. Propensity score was used to match equal numbers of patients 1:1 (N = 16,609 per group) into acupuncture and non-acupuncture cohorts based on characteristics including sex, age, baseline comorbidity and drug use. The outcome measurement was the comparison of dementia incidence in the two cohorts. RESULTS Compared with the non-acupuncture cohort, patients who received acupuncture treatment had a decreased risk of dementia (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 0.54; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.50-0.58, P < 0.001) after adjustment for age, sex, comorbidities and drug use. Compared with depression patients who did not receive acupuncture, the aHR of vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease incidences for patients who had acupuncture therapy was 0.59 (95% CI 0.48-0.71) and 0.51 (95% CI 0.39-0.67), respectively. The cumulative incidence of dementia was significantly lower in the acupuncture cohort than in the non-acupuncture cohort (Log rank test, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION The present study from real-world data revealed that acupuncture reduced the risk of dementia in depression patients, which supports healthcare decisions in clinical practice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kuan-Yu Chen
- Department of Chinese Medicine, Taipei City Hospital, Yangming Branch, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Cheng Huang
- Department of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Li Lin
- Management Office for Health Data, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chen Lee
- Department of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Acupuncture Science, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Mei-Yao Wu
- Department of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.,School of Post-Baccalaureate Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Rong Yen
- Department of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.,Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.,Chinese Medicine Research Center, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.,Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|