Key result
Continuity of care with acupoint application is linked to lower SBP and improved quality of life.
Why the study?
The effects of continuity of care combined with TCM acupoint application on blood pressure control and quality of life in elderly hypertensive patients were not well evaluated.
Does continuity of care combined with TCM acupoint application improve systolic blood pressure and quality of life in elderly patients with essential hypertension?
Observational (n=393)
Does continuity of care combined with TCM acupoint application improve systolic blood pressure and quality of life in elderly patients with essential hypertension?
p-value: p=<0.05 for SBP; <0.001 for SF-36
A 12-week integrated intervention of continuity of care and TCM acupoint application significantly improved blood pressure control, metabolic parameters, and quality of life in elderly hypertensive patients compared to standard care.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of continuity of care combined with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) acupoint application on blood pressure control, metabolic parameters, psychological status, treatment adherence, and quality of life in elderly patients with essential hypertension, and to explore potential mediation pathways using Bootstrap-based multiple mediation analysis. METHODS: This retrospective study included 393 elderly patients with essential hypertension (experimental group, n = 209; control group, n = 184) treated between January 2022 and January 2025. The experimental group received a 12-week integrated intervention combining TCM acupoint application and continuity of care in addition to standard antihypertensive therapy. The control group received standard antihypertensive therapy and routine nursing only. Primary outcomes were post-intervention systolic blood pressure (SBP) and SF-36 total score. Secondary outcomes included diastolic blood pressure (DBP), laboratory indices, Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), Adherence to Refills and Medications Scale (ARMS), and self-management behavior scores. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the experimental group showed significantly lower post-intervention SBP, DBP, TC, TG, FBG, and CRP (all P < 0.05), as well as significantly lower SAS and SDS scores, lower ARMS scores, and higher SF-36 total scores (all P < 0.001). Consistent intervention effects were observed across age subgroups. Mediation analysis identified self-management behavior, anxiety status, and treatment adherence as candidate mediators; however, none reached statistical significance. CONCLUSION: The integrated intervention significantly improved multidimensional outcomes in elderly hypertensive patients. The identified mediation pathways are hypothesis-generating and require confirmation in future prospective studies.
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Wang et al. (2026) conducted an observational in Essential hypertension (n=393). Continuity of care combined with TCM acupoint application and standard antihypertensive therapy vs. Standard antihypertensive therapy and routine nursing only was evaluated on Post-intervention systolic blood pressure (SBP) and SF-36 total score (p=<0.05 for SBP; <0.001 for SF-36). Continuity of care combined with TCM acupoint application significantly lowered systolic blood pressure (P<0.05) and improved SF-36 quality of life scores (P<0.001) compared to standard care alone.
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