Approxiamately 25% of the adult population in the UK have
hypertension (i.e. a blood pressure of 140/90mmHg or more), and over half of
those over the age of 60s are affected according to the report published by
National Clinical Guideline Centre in 2011. The prevalence is strongly
influenced by age and lifestyle factors. Raised systolic pressure is the more
dominant feature of hypertension in older patients, while raised diastolic
pressure is more common in younger patients (i.e. those under 50 years of age).
High blood pressure can be lowered by several classes of drugs and by such
lifestyle changes as salt intake restriction, exercise and weight loss.
Lifestyle interventions, however, are difficult to achieve and even more
difficult to maintain. Drug therapy is costly, fraught with compliance, and
accompanied by unwanted side effects.
Acupuncture is effective in lowing blood pressure. Professor
Longhurst and his colleagues (Susan-Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine,
University of California, USA) have focused on acupuncture blood regulation
research over past 20 years. They found that acupuncture stimulation at
acupoints such as Neiguan, Jianshi, Zusanli and Shangjuxu activated somatic
input to different brain regions, leading to prolonged release of opioids and
other neurotransmitters, and rebalancing autonomic outflow , guiding to a
long-last reduction of blood pressure. Acupuncture treatment on above acupoints
once weekly for two months appears to reduce blood pressure of subjects with
mild to moderate hypertension. The response is slow in onset (occurring 2-4
weeks) and prolonged in duration, with decrease that can lasts days or weeks
depending on how many times it is applied. Normally 1 or 2 times acupuncture
treatment per month will maintain normal blood pressure after blood pressure of
subject is back to normal.
Reference:
J Longhurst et al., (2013) Acupuncture
Regulation of Blood Pressure: Two Decades of Research. In BY Zeng, K Zhao &
FR Liang (Eds), Neurobiology of Acupuncture (Int Rev Neurobiol. Vol. 111: pp.
257-270). New York: Academic Press.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24215927
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