Hemodynamic changes caused by acupuncture in healthy volunteers: a prospective, single-arm exploratory clinical study

BACKGROUND: Radial pressure pulse wave (RPPW) examination has been a key diagnostic component of traditional Chinese medicine. The objective of this study was to investigate the changes in RPPW along with various hemodynamic variables after acupuncture stimulation and to examine the validity of pulse diagnosis as a modern diagnostic tool. METHODS: We conducted acupuncture stimulation at both ST36 acupuncture points in 25 healthy volunteers. We simultaneously assessed the RPPW by pulse tonometry; heart rate variability (HRV) by electrocardiogram; photoplethysmogram (PPG) signals, respiration rate, peripheral blood flow velocity and arterial depth by ultrasonography; and cardiac output by impedance cardiography, before, during and after a session of acupuncture stimulation. RESULTS: We observed consistent patterns of increased spectral energy at low frequency (<10 Hz) and pulse power using RPPW examination and in the amplitude and systolic area of the PPG signal during the entire acupuncture session. The low- and high-frequency domains of HRV increased and decreased, respectively, during the acupuncture session. The peripheral blood velocity rose shortly after needle insertion, reached a maximum in the middle of the session and decreased afterwards. The augmentation index (AIX) and pulse transit time (PTT) obtained from RPPW did not change significantly. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture stimulation at ST36 in healthy subjects increased the peripheral pulse amplitudes (pressure pulse wave (PPW) and PPG), blood flow velocity (ultrasonography) and sympathetic nerve activity (HRV). The lack of changes in the AIX and PTT suggests that the increased pulse amplitudes and blood flow velocity may result from increased cardiac output. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Research Information Service (KCT0001663). ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12906-017-1787-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.