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Blood-Letting Therapy for Hypertension: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

  • Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine
  • Published:
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Abstract

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of blood-letting therapy (BLT) in treatment of hypertension.

Methods

A comprehensive electronic and manual bibliographic searches were performed in Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Excerpt Medica Database (EMBASE), PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Scientific Journal Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and Wanfang Database to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in which hypertensive patients were treated with BLT or BLT plus antihypertensive drugs (BPAD) against placebo, no treatment or antihypertensive drugs. The Cochrane Risk Assessment Tool was used to assess the methodological quality of trials. The Review Manager 5.3 software was used for meta-analysis.

Results

A total of 7 RCTs with 637 hypertensive patients from 1989 to 2017 were identified. Compared with antihypertensive drugs, blood pressure was significantly reduced by BLT (RR=1.21, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.44, P=0.03; heterogeneity: P=0.06, I2=60%) and BPAD (RR=1.25, 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.53, P=0.03; heterogeneity: P= 0.01, I2=71%). Moreover, a significant improvement in Chinese medicine syndrome by BLT (RR=1.32; 95% CI: 1.14 to 1.53, P=0.0002; heterogeneity: P=0.53, I2=0%) and BPAD (RR=1.47; 95% CI: 1.06 to 2.04, P=0.02; heterogeneity: P=0.13, I2=56%) was identified. The reported adverse effects were well tolerated.

Conclusion

Although some positive findings were identified, no definite conclusions regarding the efficacy and safety of BLT as complementary and alternative approach for treatment of hypertension could be drew due to the generally poor methodological design, significant heterogeneity, and insufficient clinical data. Further rigorously designed trials are warranted to confirm the results.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiology, Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China

    Xing-jiang Xiong

  2. Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China

    Peng-qian Wang

  3. Department of Molecular Biology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100032, China

    Sheng-jie Li

Authors
  1. Xing-jiang Xiong
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  2. Peng-qian Wang
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  3. Sheng-jie Li
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xing-jiang Xiong.

Additional information

Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81403375)

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Xiong, Xj., Wang, Pq. & Li, Sj. Blood-Letting Therapy for Hypertension: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 25, 139–146 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-018-3009-2

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