Electroacupuncture as an Adjuvant Therapy for Dyspnea in Patients with Pulmonary Hypertension Associated with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is the most prevalent cardiovascular complication of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Dyspnea is the most prevalent and distressing symptom in Pulmonary Hypertension Associated with COPD (PH-COPD) patients. This study elucidates the operational details of electroacupuncture therapy, encompassing instrument preparation, acupuncture point selection, procedure, precautions, and emergency handling. By assessing with the Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale (mMRC), the 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), the Modified Borg Scale, the UCSD Shortness of Breath Questionnaire (UCSD-SOBQ), and the oxygen partial pressure in arterial blood (PaO2), the efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture as a supplementary intervention for dyspnea in patient with PH-COPD were explored. An exploratory randomized controlled study was conducted on 14 patients, with the electroacupuncture group receiving both conventional therapy and electroacupuncture treatment, and the control group receiving only conventional therapy. After 2 weeks, dyspnea improved in both groups, with the electroacupuncture group showing superior results. No serious adverse reactions occurred in either group. The study indicates that electroacupuncture can effectively alleviate dyspnea in PH-COPD patients, enhance their quality of life, and is simple, safe to operate, and worthy of further investigation and promotion, offering an effective adjunct therapy for PH-COPD.