Effect of Acupuncture on hs-CRP and IL-6 in Patients with Primary Hypertension Due to Excessive Retention of Dampness-heat / 上海针灸杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To observe the effect of acupuncture on the levels of hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in patients with grade I primary hypertension due to excessive retention of dampness-heat,and discuss the relationship between inflammatory factors and the change of blood pressure.Method Sixty patients with grade I primary hypertension due to excessive retention of dampness-heat were randomized into a treatment group and a control group,30 cases each.The treatment group was intervened by acupuncture with points selected based on syndrome differentiation,and the control group was treated with acupuncture at non-meridian points,for 18 sessions in total.The 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure,and serum hs-CRP and IL-6 levels were compared before and after the treatment.Result After the treatment,the 24-hour systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were significantly changed in the treatment group (P＜ 0.01).There were significant differences in comparing the 24-hour SBP and DBP between the two groups after the treatment (P＜0.05).The serum hs-CRP and IL-6 levels dropped after the treatment in both groups but without statistical significances (P＞0.05).Conclusion Acupuncture is an effective approach in treating primary hypertension due to excessive retention of dampness-heat,and its action mechanism may be associated with the decrease of serum hs-CRP and IL-6 levels.