Effect of acupuncture at Neiguan point combined with amiodarone therapy on early recurrence after pulmonary vein electrical isolation in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

Early atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrences are common and have been shown to predict AF recurrences late after AF ablation during follow-up. Neiguan point acupuncture has been recognized to be therapeutic in treating AF in clinical practice.

METHODS AND RESULTS:

Eighty-five patients were enrolled in succession due to persistent AF. All patients were randomized divided into control group and acupuncture group. In the control group (n = 45), amiodarone was orally taken from the first day after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). In the acupuncture group (n = 40), patients were treated with Neiguan point acupuncture for 7 days and amiodarone was prescribed as same as the control group after PVI. The levels of inflammatory factors were analyzed before operation, 1 week after the operation and 3 months later. After 3 months, the acupuncture group had a lower rate of early recurrences than the control group (5/40 [12.5%] vs 15/45 [33.3%], P = 0.039). The inflammatory factors level in the two groups were significantly increased after ablation. However, compared with the control group, the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, CRP, TGF-β1, MMP2 in the acupuncture group significantly lower (P < 0.05). In a multivariate analysis, acupuncture was an independent factor associated with a lower rate of early recurrences during the blanking period (odds ratio, 0.17; 95% confidence interval, 0.05-0.63; P = 0.008).

CONCLUSION:

Neiguan point acupuncture combined with amiodarone is superior to amiodarone alone in reducing early recurrences of patients with persistent AF after PVI. The efficacy of Neiguan acupuncture therapy on the early recurrence is associated with the decreased inflammation factors.

• Authors: Junkui Yin, Mei Yang, Shengbo Yu, Haixia Fu, He Huang, Bo Yang, Yu Liu, Bo He, Mingwei Bao, Gang Wu, Zhibing Lu, Huangfen Liu, Xiujuan Liu, Libin Dong, Congxin Huang, Qingyan Zhao
• Journal: Journal of cardiovascular electrophysiology (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol) Vol. 30 Issue 6 Pg. 910-917 (06 2019) ISSN: 1540-8167 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 30907035 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Chemical References

• Anti-Arrhythmia Agents
• Inflammation Mediators
• Amiodarone

Topics

• Action Potentials
• Acupuncture Points
• Acupuncture Therapy (adverse effects)
• Aged
• Amiodarone (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Anti-Arrhythmia Agents (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Atrial Fibrillation (blood, diagnosis, physiopathology, therapy)
• Catheter Ablation (adverse effects)
• China
• Combined Modality Therapy
• Female
• Heart Rate (drug effects)
• Humans
• Inflammation Mediators (blood)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Prospective Studies
• Pulmonary Veins (drug effects, physiopathology, surgery)
• Recurrence
• Single-Blind Method
• Time Factors
• Treatment Outcome