Zhongguo quanke yixue (Feb 2024)
Acupoint Catgut Embedding Combined with Atorvastatin Calcium in the Treatment of Hyperlipidemia in the Elderly: a Randomized Controlled Trial
Abstract
Background The prevalence of dyslipidemia among adults in China reached 40.4% in 2012, and dyslipidemia is an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD), and the elderly are at high risk for dyslipidemia and chronic diseases. The results of the previous survey showed that the prevalence of dyslipidemia among the elderly in the Malu district of Shanghai was 63%, therefore, it is of great significance to control dyslipidemia effectively. Objective To explore the synergistic effect of using acupoint catgut embedding combined with atorvastatin calcium to intervene in hyperlipidemia among the elderly in Malu district, so as to provide a basis for preventing and treating hyperlipidemia in the elderly and guide clinical practice. Methods As a single-center randomized controlled trial, a total of 120 elderly patients with hyperlipidemia recruited in the outpatient clinic of Malu Community Health Service Center of Jiading District from 2020-05-10 to 2020-08-04 were randomly divided into the treatment (n=59) and control groups (n=60) in a 1∶1 ratio by using simple random digit grouping methods. The treatment group was treated with acupoint catgut embedding combined with atorvastatin calcium, and the embedding was performed once every 2 weeks, 4 times for a course of treatment, while taking 10 mg of oral atorvastatin calcium tablets daily; the control group received only 10 mg of oral atorvastatin calcium tablets daily for 8 weeks of the intervention cycle. The main observational indexes were LDL cholesterol compliance and improvement in lipid levels, and the effect of this treatment regimen in different populations were explored. Results The primary outcome indicators included that the LDL cholesterol compliance rates were 79.5% and 71.4% in the two groups after treatment, respectively; there was no significant difference in the comparison of total cholesterol, triglycerides, low density lipoprotein cholesterol and high density lipoprotein cholesterol before and after treatment and 1 month of follow-up in the two groups (P>0.05). The secondary outcome indicators included that there was no significant difference in the comparison of apolipoprotein A, apolipoprotein B, lipoprotein alpha, fasting blood glucose and glycated albumin before and after treatment between the two groups (P>0.05), the comparison of the difference of BMI in the two groups before and after treatment, after treatment, and 1 month follow-up showed no statistically significant difference (P>0.05) ; the TCM evidence scores of the treatment group were higher than those of the control group after treatment (P<0.001). The adverse reactions included that the rate of abnormal elevation of glutamyl transfer in the treatment group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05) . Conclusion The combination of acupoint catgut embedding with atorvastatin calcium improves lipid levels in the elderly with advantages in improving the TCM evidence scores and reducing the adverse effects of atorvastatin calcium.
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