Acute Effects of Acupuncture Treatment with Baihui (GV20) on Human Arterial Stiffness and Wave Reflection

OBJECTIVES: Treatment by manual acupuncture needling affects the vascular wall tone, and hemodynamic parameters for arterial stiffness may be characterized by treatment at the traditional acupuncture point (acupoint) of Baihui (GV20). METHODS: The acute effects of acupuncture treatment on arterial stiffness and wave reflection were investigated and, simultaneously, an augmentation index (AI), as an index of wave reflection, was estimated. These parameters were measured in male volunteers using applanation tonometry during 20 minutes of acupuncture treatment and 40 minutes post-acupuncture. RESULTS: During treatment, diastolic blood pressure (BP), but not systolic BP, increased significantly. Heart rates (HR) initially tended to increase and then decrease. The AI from radial arteries increased significantly, while central aortic blood pressure (CBP) was unaffected. Post-acupuncture, the effects lasted for 30-40 minutes. The average BP and HR were +10.1+/-0.3% and -7.2+/-0.2%, respectively, and the CBPs were not altered, but the AI decreased markedly; this latter effect presumably resulted from the involvement of neurovascular modulators. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicated that acute treatment at Baihui enhanced arteriosclerotic parameters. In post-acupuncture, the AI profoundly decreased, presumably resulting from the involvement with neurovascular modulators.