Acupuncture for heart failure: a Bayesian network systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

Abstract

Background: Heart failure (HF) is the final stage of cardiovascular disease development, and clinical studies on acupuncture for the treatment of HF are increasing. However, the efficacy and safety of these acupuncture methods are unclear. The purpose of this study is to conduct a meta-analysis of the relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to explain their efficacy and safety through high-quality evidence.Methods: The databases of the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, SinoMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wan-fang, and VIP will be searched from inception date to June 2021. The search will not be restricted by language. This study will include RCTs of various acupuncture methods for HF. Study selection, data extraction, and research quality assessments will be conducted independently by two researchers. The primary outcome is the efficacy rate and heart function, the secondary outcomes are quality of life scores, rehospitalization, and adverse reactions/events. The software RevMan 5.3 and Aggregate Data Drug Information System (ADDIS) will be used for network meta-analysis (NMA). Risk of bias, meta-regression, subgroup analysis, and sensitivity analysis will be performed, and the quality of evidence will be assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) framework.Discussion: This study will confirm the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in improving the clinical symptoms and heart function of HF, or elucidate which method of acupuncture is better suited to this purpose.

Electroacupuncture pretreatment mediates sympathetic nerves to alleviate myocardial ischemia–reperfusion injury via CRH neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus

“…Acupuncture and moxibustion mainly stimulates the peripheral specific acupoints by needling the skin, causing the response of the central nervous system, thus regulating the function of internal organs. At the same time, human clinical studies have shown that acupuncture can have a significant impact on the cardiovascular system, providing effective treatment for a wide range of cardiovascular diseases [ 2 – 4 ]. The development of neurobrain science provides a good direction for thinking about explaining the mechanism of action of acupuncture in treating diseases [ 5 ].…”