Background: The purpose of this trial is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of electroacupuncture in the treatment of acute decompensated heart failure compared with sham electroacupuncture. Methods: This protocol is for a randomized, sham controlled, patient- and assessor-blinded, parallel group, single center clinical trial that can overcome the limitations of previous trials examining acupuncture and heart failure. Forty-four acute decompensated heart failure patients admitted to the cardiology ward will be randomly assigned into the electroacupuncture treatment group (n = 22) or the sham electroacupuncture control group (n = 22). Participants will receive electroacupuncture treatment for 5 days of their hospital stay. The primary outcome of this study is the difference in total diuretic dose between the two groups during hospitalization. On the day of discharge, follow-up heart rate variability, routine blood tests, cardiac biomarkers, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) level, and N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro BNP) level will be assessed. Four weeks after discharge, hs-CRP, NT-pro BNP, heart failure symptoms, quality of life, and a pattern identification questionnaire will be used for follow-up analysis. Six months after discharge, major cardiac adverse events and cardiac function measured by echocardiography will be assessed. Adverse events will be recorded during every visit. Discussion: The result of this clinical trial will offer evidence of the effectiveness and safety of electroacupuncture for acute decompensated heart failure. Trial registration: Clinical Research Information Service: KCT0002249.
CITATION STYLE
Leem, J., Lee, S. M. K., Park, J. H., Lee, S., Chung, H., Lee, J. M., … Woo, J. S. (2017). Efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture in acute decompensated heart failure: A study protocol for a randomized, patient- and assessor-blinded, sham controlled trial. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-017-1864-3
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