Clinical stugy of acupuncture treatment for chronic pulmonary disease.

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K09333
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: General internal medicine(including psychosomatic medicine)
• Research Institution: Meiji University of Integrative Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Namura Kenji 明治国際医療大学, 臨床医学講座, 教授 (30228085)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 浅沼 博司 明治国際医療大学, 臨床医学講座, 教授 (20416217)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 慢性閉塞性肺疾患 / COPD / 気管支喘息 / 鍼灸治療 / acupuncture / 統合医療

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We investigated the clinical effects of integrative medicine combining acupuncture with standard medical treatments for chronic respiratory diseases (bronchial asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)). 1. For bronchial asthma, acupuncture was performed on 23 patients diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma. A significant suppressive effect was observed on airway inflammation, which is the etiology of the disease. 2. In COPD, 8 patients were treated with acupuncture, and the dyspnea severity of modified MRC and the disease stage indicated by GOLD severity classification tended to improve. Walking distance was increased by the 6-minute walk test, and a significant improvement in exercise tolerance was also observed.

Free Research Field

呼吸器内科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究において、慢性閉塞性肺疾患（COPD）では、鍼治療により、COPD の予後予測因子であるBODE indexが有意に改善し、COPDに合併する肺高血圧症や右心不全の改善傾向も認められ、予後の改善効果が示唆された。予後予測因子のBODE indexの改善と、予後不良因子の肺高血圧や右心負荷の改善傾向は、これまでに報告がなく、本研究の特色である。さらに、症例を増やし、対照研究とし、研究を深めていく必要があると考えられる。