TAIPEI: People with arthritis face an increased risk of stroke, but a new study suggests that acupuncture treatment has the potential to reduce that risk.
Acupuncture is a treatment method that relieves pain by inserting needles into the body.
A study conducted at Taiwan-based China Medical University reported that the effects of this method of treatment were found to be independent of gender, age, medication use and other co-morbidities, suggesting to the researchers that it is possible. Acupuncture reduces the amount of cytokines (which are associated with cardiovascular disease) that cause inflammation.
People with rheumatoid arthritis are the leading cause of death from cardiovascular disease and are more likely to have a stroke than the general population.
While acupuncture is being used to relieve pain and reduce inflammation, researchers have tried to find out whether this treatment can reduce the risk of stroke. This condition caused by blood clots in the brain is related to inflammation in the system.
In the study, researchers reviewed data from more than 23,000 arthritis patients. They included about 12,300 patients who were treated with acupuncture between 1997 and 2010. On average, patients began acupuncture treatment 2.9 years after the diagnosis of arthritis. These patients were followed up during 2011.
The risk of stroke increases with age and other conditions such as blood pressure. But according to researchers, acupuncture provides protection against stroke regardless of gender, age, medication use and other conditions.
The results of the study showed a 43 percent lower risk of stroke among those who received acupuncture for arthritis compared to those who did not.
