RESUMO
Objective To investigate the effect of heat-sensitive point moxibustion on high-normal blood pressure in persons with yin or yang deficiency.Methods Eighty-six persons with high-normal blood pressure were randomized to a treatment group (42 cases, 20 with yin deficiency and 22 with yang deficiency) and a control group (44 cases, 19 with yin deficiency and 25 with yang deficiency). The control group received health education and diet guidance and the treatment group, heat-sensitive point moxibustion in addition. Both groups were followed up twice a week with blood pressure measured. The clinical therapeutic effects, hypertension diagnosis rates and neutral constitution transformation percentages were compared between the two groups of persons with different constitutions after one month of treatment.Results The total efficacy rate was 90.0％ in persons with yin deficiency and 100％ in persons with yang deficiency of the treatment group and correspondingly 78.9％ and 92.0％ of the control group; there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05). Post-treatment hypertension diagnosis rate 15.0％ in persons with yin deficiency and 9.1％ in persons with yang deficiency of the treatment group and correspondingly 36.8％ and 16.0％ of the control group; there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05). Post-treatment neutral constitution transformation percentage was 23.3％ in persons with yin or yang deficiency of the treatment group and 13.6％ in those of the control group; there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05).Conclusions Heat-sensitive point moxibustion can reduce high-normal blood pressure and hypertension incidence and effectively rectify biased constitution in persons with yin or yang deficiency.