CLINICAL RESEARCH ON THE EFFECT OF ACUPUNCTURE ON THE LEFT VENTRICULAR CONTRACTION FUNCTION IN SYMPTOMLESS CARDIAC FAILURE PATIENTS

Objective: To observe the effect of acupuncture therapy on the function of myocardial contraction in symptomless cardiac failure patients.Methods: A total of 60 cases of symptomless cardiac insufficiency inpatients were randomly divided into medication and acupuncture groups, with 30 cases in each group. For patients of acupuncture group, Neiguan (PC 6), Ximen (PC 4), Tanzhong (CV 17), Xinshu (BL 15), Jueyinshu (BL 14) and Geshu (BL 17) were punctured, twice daily, with 30 days being a therapeutic course. In medication group, patients were asked to take Capoten 25 mg (t.i.d.). The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and its fractional shortening (FS) of the minor axis were used as the indexes for assessing the therapeutic effect and detected by using a color ultrasonic Doppler apparatus. Results: After one course of treatment, of the each 30 cases of acupuncture and medication groups, 13 (43.3%) and 16 (53.3%) had marked improvement, 16 (53.3%) and 14 (46.7%) had improvement, and 1 (3.3%) and 0 had no any effect respectively. No significant difference was found between two groups in the therapeutic effect. It shows acupuncture therapy can improve myocardial contraction function. Conclusion: Acupuncture has a similar effect in enhancing the systolic function of the myocardium.

Effect of Different Styles of Coronary Heart Disease and Its Risk Factors on Cardiac Remodeling and Dysfunction

Objectives To evaluate the effect of different styles of coronary heart disease （CHD）, different regions of acute myocardial infarction （AMI）, its risk factors and branches of coronary stenosis on left ventricular remodeling and dysfunction by applying echocardiography. Methods 251 patients with CHD and 96 patients without CHD （NoCHD） were verified by selective coronary angiography. CHD patients were divided into stable angina pectoris （SAP） 26, unstable angina pectoris（UAP） 53, acute myocardial infarction （AMI） 140 and old myocardial infarction （OMI） 30 based on clinical situation, cTnT, cardiac enzyme and ECG. AMI patients were further divided into subgroups including acute anterior myocardial infarct （Aa,n = 53）, acute inferior myocardial infarction （Ai, n=54） and Aa＋Ai （n=33） based on ECG. Cardiac parameters： end-diastolic interventricular septum thickness（IVSd）, end-diastolic left ventricular internal diameter （LVd）, left ventricular mass （LM）, end-diastolic left ventricular volume （EDV）, end-systolic left ventricular volume （ESV） and left ventricular ejection fraction（LVEF） were measured by ACUSON 128XP/10 echocardiography. Multiples linear regression analyses were performed to test statistical associations between LVEF and the involved branches of coronary stenosis, blood pressure, lipids, glucose and etc after onset of myocardial infarction. Results EDV and ESV were increased and LVEF decreased on patients with AMI,OMI and UAP （P〈0.05-0.0001）. LM was mainly increased in patients with OMI （P〈0.01） and LVd was mainly enlarged in patients with AMI. EF was significantly decreased and EDV, ESV, LM and LVd were remarkably increased in AMI patients with Aa and Aa＋Ai. With the multiple linear regression analyses by SPSS software, we found that LVEF was negatively correlated to the involved branches of coronary stenosis as well as to systolic blood pressure after onset of myocardial infarction while there was no significant correlation between LVEF and other factors. LVEF was significantly decreased, and LVd and LM increased in AMI patients with antecedent hypertension, compared to patients without hypertension （P〈0.001）. Conclusions Effects of different styles of CHD and different regions of AMI on left ventricular remodeling and cardiac function are different. Myocardial infarction, especially Aa and Aa＋Ai, is one of the most important causes of left ventricular remodeling and cardiac dysfunction. Multiple vessel stenosis and systolic blood pressure at the onset of myocardial infarction reduce LVEF in AMI patients. Antecedent hypertension may accelerate the effect of AMI on cardiac remodeling and dysfunction. Therefore primary and secondary preventions of CHD are critical for protecting heart from remodeling and dysfunction.