Head-to-Head Comparison of Electroacupuncture and Laser Acupuncture Effects on Autonomic Regulation and Clinical Effects in Dysmenorrhea: A Randomized Crossover Clinical Trial.

Introduction: Electroacupuncture (EA) has been applied in dysmenorrhea and has shown good efficacy. The mechanisms of EA are associated with autonomic nervous system adjustments and neuroendocrine regulation. Laser acupuncture (LA), however, has been widely investigated for its noninvasiveness. However, it remains uncertain whether LA is as effective as EA. This study aimed to compare EA and LA head to head in dysmenorrhea. Methods: A crossover, randomized clinical trial was conducted. EA or LA was applied to selected acupuncture points. Participants were randomized into two sequence treatment groups who received either EA or LA twice per week in luteal phase for 3 months followed by 2-month washout, then shifted to other groups (sequence 1: EA > LA; sequence 2: LA > EA). Outcome measures were heart rate variability (HRV), prostaglandins (PGs), pain, and quality-of-life (QoL) assessment (QoL-SF12). We also compared the effect of EA and LA in low and high LF/HF (low frequency/high frequency) status. Results: Totally, 43 participants completed all treatments. Both EA and LA significantly improved HRV activity and were effective in reducing pain (Visual Analog Scale [VAS]; EA: p < 0.001 and LA: p = 0.010) and improving QoL (SF12: EA: p < 0.001, LA, p = 0.017); although without intergroup difference. EA reduced PGs significantly (p < 0.001; δ p = 0.068). In low LF/HF, EA had stronger effects than LA in increasing parasympathetic tone in respect of percentage of successive RR intervals that differ by more than 50 ms (pNN50; p = 0.053) and very low-frequency band (VLF; p = 0.035). Conclusion: There is no significant difference between EA and LA in improving autonomic nervous system dysfunction, pain, and QoL in dysmenorrhea. EA is prominent in PGs changing and preserving vagus tone in low LF/HF; yet LA is noninvasive for those who have needle phobia. Whether LA is equivalent with EA and the mechanism warrants further study. Clinical trial identification number: NCT04178226.

Poor Quality of Life in HIV-Infected Men Who Have Sex with Men is Associated with Excess-Type Constitution of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Introduction: This study explored the pathological constitution as it relates to low quality of life in HIV-infected MSM patients, as a reference for clinical treatment. Methods: It had a cross-sectional research design using structured questionnaires to collect data, including patient's basic data, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+ ratio, Wang Qi constitution, and WHOQOL-BREF-Taiwan version questionnaires. We considered the association between constitutions and quality of life of HIV-infected MSM patients. Results and Discussion. The project accepted 203 HIV-infected MSM participants. The three most common pathological constitutions were Yang deficiency 15.5%, yin deficiency 13.1%, and qi deficiency 11.2%. The study determined scores for various quality of life domains: psychological (13.44 ± 2.27), social relationship (13.81 ± 2.80), physiological (14.43 ± 2.41), and environmental (14.78 ± 2.21). The TCM constitution is strongly correlated with the quality of life. Excess constitution had the worst quality of life. Comparing the infected time over one year with the time of <0-2 weeks, the adjusted odds ratios (AOR) were determined for abnormal CD4+ and CD4+/CD8+ ratio (OR: odds ratio: 0.03, 0.07, respectively, p < 0.001). Compared with the Gentleness constitution, there is a significant difference between the Deficiency and Excess constitution in sleep status and negative mood by multiple regression analysis (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The Excess constitutions was correlated with worse quality of life. Even if the immune system was restored, the psychosocial domain, sleep status, and negative mood were not improved.