Effect of Acupuncture on Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Summary

This study aims to compare the efficacy of three therapies for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients: one, conventional drug based on Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) 2017 and Chinese Medical Association Guidelines; another, acupuncture, an important part of traditional Chinese Medicine; and finally, the combination of conventional drug and acupuncture, and then determine which therapy is the most suitable for patients with COPD.

Timeline

Start

2017-05

Primary completion

2018-05

Completion

2018-12

Outcome

Mixed primary results

paper The primary outcomes included the six-minute walk distance (6MWD) and St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) PMID 39956529 ↗

paper the 6MWD in the acupuncture plus conventional drug group increased significantly at 4, 8, and 12 weeks of treatment PMID 39956529 ↗

paper there was no group or interaction effect (P > 0.05). PMID 39956529 ↗

Publications

• Li J, Xie Y, Wang Y, Wu L, Yu X, Bai L, Shao S, Zhou M, Zhang M, Yu X, Han W, Li X, Chen T. Effect of acupuncture on patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A multicenter randomized controlled trial. Complement Ther Med. 2025 May;89:103146. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2025.103146. Epub 2025 Feb 14.

Drugs

Evaluation	Drug	Modality	Dose	Route
Subject	Fluticasone propionate	Other / unclassified	50 ug	Inhaled
Subject	Fluticasone propionate	Other / unclassified	250 ug	Inhaled
Subject	Salbutamol	Unknown	100 ug	Inhaled
Subject	Tiotropium	Other / unclassified	18 ug	Inhaled

Indications