Effects of Acupuncture in Bronchial Asthma

Dias, P L R

doi:10.1177/014107688307600127

Cited by 18 publications

(55 citation statements)

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“…However, when the contributions were examined, the study by DIAS et al [6] presented the greatest contribution to the hetereogeneity statistic. After removing the study from the analysis, the test of heterogeneity showed a considerably lower value (QH=5.41 with seven df; p=0.61).…”

Section: Description Of the Clinical Trialsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Initially, references from published papers [1,6] and narrative reviews about the topic [3,8] were searched. A computer-assisted search examining the following literature databases was also performed: Medline, Biological Abstracts and Dissertation Abstracts.…”

Section: Retrieving the Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Over 200 possible trials were identified but only 12 satisfied the inclusion criteria [1,2,6,[22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30]. One trial published in a Chinese journal [22] could not be recovered as the authors were only able to retrieve a poor translation of the abstract summarising the results, which did not provide the information needed to extract any useful summary data.…”

Section: Description Of the Clinical Trialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Several randomised clinical trials have reported a benefit from acupuncture in the treatment of asthma [1,2], but generally results appear contradictory, suggesting both beneficial and detrimental effects [3,4,5,6]. The efficacy of acupuncture in asthma has not been proven beyond reasonable doubt [7].…”

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confidence: 99%

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Efficacy of acupuncture in asthma: systematic review and meta-analysis of published data from 11 randomised controlled trials

Martín¹,

Donaldson²,

Villarroel³

et al. 2002

European Respiratory Journal

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Contradictory results from randomised controlled trials of acupuncture in asthma suggest both a beneficial and detrimental effect. The authors conducted a formal systematic review and meta-analysis of all randomised clinical trials in the published literature that have compared acupuncture at real and placebo points in asthma patients.The authors searched for trials published in the period 1970-2000. Trials had to measure at least one of the following objective outcomes: peak expiratory flow rate, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity. Estimates of the standarised mean difference, between acupuncture and placebo were computed for each trial and combined to estimate the overall effect. Hetereogeneity was investigated in terms of the characteristics of the individual studies.Twelve trials met the inclusion criteria but data from one could not be obtained. Individual patient data were available in only three. Standardised differences between means ranging from 0.071 to 0.133, in favour of acupuncture, were obtained. The overall effect was not conventionally significant and it corresponds to an approximate difference in FEV1 means of 1.7. After exploring hetereogenenity, it was found that studies where bronchoconstriction was induced during the experiment showed a conventionally significant effect.This meta-analysis did not find evidence of an effect of acupuncture in reducing asthma. However, the meta-analysis was limited by shortcomings of the individual trials, in terms of sample size, missing information, adjustment of baseline characteristics and a possible bias against acupuncture introduced by the use of placebo points that may not be completely inactive. There was a suggestion of preferential publication of trials in favour of acupuncture. There is an obvious need to conduct a full-scale randomised clinical trial addressing these limitations and the prognostic value of the aetiology of the disease. Eur Respir J 2002; 20: 846-852 Several randomised clinical trials have reported a benefit from acupuncture in the treatment of asthma [1,2], but generally results appear contradictory, suggesting both beneficial and detrimental effects [3,4,5,6]. The efficacy of acupuncture in asthma has not been proven beyond reasonable doubt [7]. This may be due to differences in trial design and mode of treatment or to the small size of the trials. In terms of design, the insertion of a needle prevents the use of blindness to remove the placebo effect and therefore needles are sometimes inserted in "placebo points" [8]. The wide range of outcomes measured using objective tests (peak flow rates) to perceived breathlessness or anxiety introduces another source of variation. Differences in the mode of treatment include a diversity of acupuncture points, periods of stimulation and methods of needle insertion [9]. The size of all the individual studies was only a fraction of the sample size given by a conventional power requirement: 550 patients would be required to detect a standardised d...

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Section: Description Of the Clinical Trialsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Retrieving the Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Description Of the Clinical Trialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Efficacy of acupuncture in asthma: systematic review and meta-analysis of published data from 11 randomised controlled trials

Martín¹,

Donaldson²,

Villarroel³

et al. 2002

European Respiratory Journal

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show abstract

“…When it comes to other effects of acupuncture, however, we have very few answers, From work with various animal models, clinical observations and controlled trials, acupuncture is known to have effects on body temperature control (,19) and sweat gland activity; circLrlation in the skin (50) and possibly deeper tissues (5/); bowel motility f52) and secretion; urodynamics; exercise tolerance f53); emesis (54); tinnitus (55); lung function (56,57) and the sensation of dyspnoea (5459); psychiatric states f60) such as fatigue, anxiety and depression f61,62); immune mechanisms f63); local tissue inflammation (64); and a variety of biochemical and haematoloBical variables (65).…”

Section: Mechanism Of Actionmentioning

confidence: 99%