Key result
Acupuncture reduces resting heart rate and LF/HF ratio versus placebo in minor depression or anxiety.
Why the study?
The effects of needle acupuncture on cardiac autonomic nervous system function in patients with minor depression or anxiety disorder were not well established.
Does verum acupuncture improve cardiac autonomic nervous system function in patients with minor depression or anxiety disorders?
RCT (n=36)
Does verum acupuncture improve cardiac autonomic nervous system function in patients with minor depression or anxiety disorders?
Verum acupuncture may modulate cardiac autonomic function by decreasing resting heart rate and the LF/HF ratio in patients with minor depression or anxiety.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Supports acupuncture to modulate autonomic function in minor depression or anxiety; extends RCT evidence on HRV parameters.
We undertook this study to evaluate the effects of needle acupuncture on cardiac autonomic nervous system (ANS) function in patients with minor depression or anxiety disorder. Patients (n=36) were randomly distributed into a verum acupuncture (VA) group or a placebo (PL) group Both groups underwent standardized measurements of the 5-minute resting heart rate variability (HRV), which were performed before the first and after the 9th acupuncture session of an acupuncture series, and also three times during the third acupuncture sessionCompared to PL the VA group showed a significant decrease of the mean resting heart rate both. The latter effects resulted in an overall significant decrease of the mean LF/HF ratio in VA compared to PL treated patients.
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Ullrich et al. (2004) conducted an RCT in Minor depression or anxiety disorder (n=36). Verum acupuncture vs. Placebo was evaluated on 5-minute resting heart rate variability (HRV) and mean resting heart rate. Verum acupuncture significantly decreased mean resting heart rate and the mean LF/HF ratio compared to placebo in patients with minor depression or anxiety disorder.
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