Effect of acupuncture on the haemodynamic system in men

Background: Acupuncture stimulation decreases heart rate (HR) through somato-autonomic reflexes. However, the mechanisms responsible for other cardiovascular changes induced by acupuncture, such as its effects on stroke volume (SV) and blood pressure (BP), remain obscure. Objective: To evaluate continuously the comprehensive cardiovascular changes occurring during acupuncture. Method: 20 healthy men participated in the study. HR, SV and BP were measured in the supine position using electrocardiogram, transthoracic impedance cardiography and continuous non-invasive finger blood pressure, respectively. Manual acupuncture stimulation using a stainless steel needle was performed at LI10 for 60 s after resting periods of approximately 15 min. Results: HR was reduced and SV increased, in parallel, during the period of acupuncture stimulation (P<0.01, respectively). Diastolic blood pressure (DBP) decreased in the 10 s period of acupuncture stimulation compared with the 120 s pre-stimulation period (P<0.01) and recovered close to the pre-stimulation reading instantly after the transient reduction. No change was observed in cardiac output (CO) derived from HR and SV. Conclusions: This study indicates that HR reduction during acupuncture does occur, as previous reports have indicated. SV increased during acupuncture stimulation in parallel with HR reduction and CO was maintained during these changes. Any reduction in DBP caused by acupuncture recovered to baseline, likely due to baroreflexes.

Download Full-text

Non-Invasive Monitoring of Hemodynamic Parameters during Hemodialysis

The International Journal of Artificial Organs ◽

10.1177/039139889501800904 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 18 (9) ◽

pp. 499-503 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

F. Pizzarelli ◽

P. Dattolo ◽

M. Piacenti ◽

M.A. Morales ◽

T. Cerrai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Blood Pressure ◽

Cardiac Output ◽

Blood Volume ◽

Impedance Cardiography ◽

Hemodynamic Parameters ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Transthoracic Impedance ◽

Cardiac Output Index ◽

On Line ◽

Two Parameters

We studied in 13 hemodialysis patients intradialytic variations of blood volume (BV) and cardiac output, by means of non-invasive methods. We found a weak correlation, r 0.2 or less, between BV variations and intradialysis blood pressure variations. The sensitivity of the former in describing the variations of the latter was only 32%. During the 30 min preceeding the hypotensive crisis the percent BV variations did not show any predictive trend. On the contrary, refilling increased as blood pressure dropped and a weak inverse relation (r -0.35) was found between these two parameters. Unstable patients had predialytic blood volume values significantly lower than stable ones and comparable to healthy subjects. On the contrary, the correlation between percent variations of cardiac output index and MAP was 0.68 with a sensitivity and specificity of 90% and 59%, respectively. Unfortunately these promising results were obtained only with an estimate of cardiac output obtained by echocardiography and not by transthoracic impedance cardiography, which is much more feasible than the former as on-line monitoring of cardiac output. On-line monitoring of hemodynamic parameters is an appealing but still unsolved task.

Download Full-text