Is electroacupuncture helpful in percutaneous coronary intervention?

This paper studied whether electroacupuncture could reduce heart damage from a percutaneous coronary intervention procedure.

Coronary artery disease occurs when there is a build-up of substances like fat in the blood vessels. This blocks blood flow and increases the risk of a heart attack. Percutaneous coronary intervention is a procedure to widen these narrowed blood vessels. While effective, it is not without risk, and complications can happen. Electroacupuncture is a procedure in which a small electric current is passed through acupuncture needles.  A previous study showed that electropuncture treatment before surgery decreased levels of heart damage after a heart valve replacement. It is suggested that electroacupuncture could be used before a percutaneous coronary intervention.

204 patients who were going to undergo percutaneous coronary intervention procedure were studied. These patients were randomly assigned to receive electroacupuncture or a sham treatment that hads no effect. Cardiac troponin, a marker of heart damage from a heart attack, was measured before and after the intervention. Patients were followed up for 2 years.

There were no major complications from percutaneous coronary intervention. 30.4% of patients who received electoracupuncture had a heart attack, as indicated by high levels of cardiac troponin. 50% of patients who received the sham procedure had a heart attack. 

At 6 months, patients who received electroacupuncutre had a better overall heart function than patients who received the sham procedure.

The authors also studied safety. 10.8% of patients who received electroaccupuncture had at least 1 major cardiac adverse event (undesired effect of treatment). 24.5% of patients who received the sham procedure had at least 1 major adverse event.  Patients who received electroacupuncture treatment were 67% less likely to have a major adverse event.

The authors concluded that an electroacupuncture procedure before percutaneous coronary intervention reduced damage to the heart.