Skip to main content

Acupuncture Linked to Lower Incidence of Ischemic Stroke in RA

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Feb 16, 2024.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Feb. 16, 2024 -- For patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the risk for ischemic stroke is lower for those receiving acupuncture, according to a study published online Feb. 13 in BMJ Open.

Chia-Yu Huang, from Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital in Taiwan, and colleagues conducted a propensity score-matched cohort study involving 23,226 patients with newly diagnosed RA between Jan. 1, 1997, and Dec. 31, 2010. The acupuncture cohort included patients who were administered acupuncture therapy from the initial date of RA diagnosis to Dec. 31, 2010; the no-acupuncture cohort included patients who did not receive acupuncture during the same time interval.

The researchers found that the cumulative incidence of ischemic stroke was lower in the acupuncture cohort. At the end of the study, 341 and 605 patients in the acupuncture and no-acupuncture groups, respectively, experienced ischemic stroke (5.95 and 12.4 per 1,000 person-years, respectively; adjusted subhazard ratio, 0.57). The reduction in incidence of ischemic stroke was independent of sex, age, types of drugs used, and comorbidities.

"Our study demonstrates that the ischemic stroke risk could be reduced by acupuncture treatment in patients with RA in Taiwan," the authors write. "The possible mechanism may involve reducing proinflammatory cytokines through acupuncture therapy, thereby attenuating cardiovascular disease, including ischemic stroke."

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted February 2024

Read this next

Prehospital Reduction in BP Does Not Improve Stroke Outcomes

MONDAY, May 20, 2024 -- For patients with acute stroke, prehospital reduction in blood pressure does not affect functional outcomes, according to a study published online May 16...

Social Determinants of Health Impact Poststroke Mortality Risk

MONDAY, May 20, 2024 -- Social determinants of health have a cumulative impact on poststroke mortality, according to a study presented at the the annual European Stroke...

Thrombectomy Linked to Better Outcomes for Acute Stroke, Large Infarct

THURSDAY, May 9, 2024 -- For patients with acute stroke and a large infarct, thrombectomy plus medical care results in better functional outcomes and lower mortality, according to...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.