Acupuncture for Cardiovascular Disorders

Acupuncture has been studied for a variety of cardiovascular conditions. Here’s a concise summary of what current evidence and clinical consensus suggest:
 
Potential Cardiovascular Benefits

1. Blood Pressure Regulation
   • Hypertension: Some studies suggest acupuncture may lower blood pressure, possibly by influencing the autonomic nervous system (reducing sympathetic tone and enhancing parasympathetic activity) and promoting nitric oxide–mediated vasodilation.
   • Effects are usually adjunctive, not a replacement for medication.
2. Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Improvement
   • Acupuncture may improve HRV, an indicator of balanced autonomic cardiac control.
   • This could benefit patients with stress-related cardiovascular issues or arrhythmias.
3. Angina and Coronary Artery Disease
   • Some evidence suggests acupuncture can reduce angina frequency and intensity and improve exercise tolerance when used alongside conventional therapy.
   • Mechanisms may involve improved myocardial perfusion and reduced cardiac workload.
4. Heart Failure
   • Early studies show acupuncture might help relieve dyspnea and fatigue, improve 6-minute walk distance, and improve quality of life scores.
   • Evidence is still limited and heterogeneous.
5. Autonomic Disorders (e.g., postural tachycardia, vasovagal syncope)
   • Acupuncture may help stabilize blood pressure and heart rate responses in some autonomic dysfunctions, though results are variable.

 
For cardiovascular patients, acupuncture may be considered as part of an integrative care plan, particularly to:

• Reduce stress and anxiety,
• Support blood pressure control,
• Alleviate chest discomfort or palpitations related to autonomic imbalance.

 
Hypertension
    What the evidence says

• A 2014 meta-analysis of 23 RCTs (1,788 patients) found that when acupuncture was used in addition to antihypertensive medication, there were greater reductions in systolic BP (mean difference ≈ –7.5 mmHg) and diastolic BP (≈ –4.2 mmHg) than medication alone. However, acupuncture by itself (without meds) did not show a significant BP-lowering effect. PubMed
• A 2018 meta-analysis of 30 RCTs (2,107 patients) similarly concluded that acupuncture + drugs was better than drugs alone, but evidence quality was low and acupuncture alone did not outperform drugs or sham. PubMed
• A 2021 meta-analysis (9 articles) found acupuncture reduced systolic BP modestly. jepublichealth.com
• A meta-analysis focusing on elderly hypertensive patients found that acupuncture alone had similar “efficacy rate” to drug therapy PMC
• A more recent network meta-analysis of acupuncture-related therapies (24 trials, 1,867 patients) found that combinations (medication + moxibustion + auricular point therapy + acupuncture) had the largest BP compared to medication alone. Acupuncture alone was not clearly superior to many other interventions. PubMed
• A 2022 meta-analysis of 46 RCTs (3,859 subjects) found that acupuncture plus antihypertensive drug therapy led to an SBP reduction of ~8.6 mmHg versus drug alone, and DBP reduction ~1.45 mmHg. They reported fewer adverse events in acupuncture vs drug therapy but emphasized the low quality of many studies. SpringerLink

 
Heart Failure
What the evidence says

• A 2016 systematic review (“Acupuncture for heart failure: A systematic review of clinical studies”) evaluated studies of acupuncture in acute and chronic heart failure. PubMed+1
  • In one acute heart failure study, acupuncture shortened ICU stay by ~2.2 days (95% CI 1.26-3.14) and reduced readmission risk ratio ~0.53 (95% CI 0.28-0.99). PubMed
  • One study reported improved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) by ~9.95% (95% CI 3.24-16.66). KHU Elsevier Pure
  • In chronic heart failure studies (5 trials), acupuncture improved exercise capacity and quality of life. PubMed