Objective: To compare the immediate effect of acupuncture and moxibustion at Guanyuan (CV 4) and Zusanli (ST 36) on heart rate variability index in patients with qi deficiency syndrome.
Methods: Ninety patients with qi deficiency syndrome were randomly divided into an acupuncture group, a moxibustion group and a blank group, 30 patients in each group. The patients in the acupuncture group were treated with acupuncture at Guanyuan (CV 4) and Zusanli (ST 36) for 15 min; acupuncture was given once. The patients in the moxibustion group were treated with moxibustion with identical acupoints and treatment duration. The patients in the blank group received no intervention. The symptom scores of qi deficiency syndrome in each group before and after treatment were recorded. The average heart rate and index of heart rate variability including total power, low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF) and logarithm of LF/HF (log LF/HF) were tested 5 min before treatment, 5 min, 10 min, 15 min into treatment, and 5 min after treatment.
Results: The symptom scores of qi deficiency syndrome were reduced in the acupuncture group and moxibustion group after treatment (P<0.05). Compared before treatment, in the acupuncture group, the HF was increased 5 min into treatment (P<0.05), but was reduced 15 min into treatment and 5 min after treatment (P<0.05, P<0.01). The log LF/HF was increased 5 min and 10 min into treatment and 5 min after treatment (P<0.01). The difference of average heart rate between 5 min before treatment and 5 min after treatment in the acupuncture group was higher than that in the moxibustion group and blank group (P<0.05), and the difference of log LF/HF was higher than that in the moxibustion group and blank group (P<0.05, P<0.01).
Conclusion: Acupuncture and moxibustion has immediate effects on heart rate variability in patients with qi deficiency syndrome, and the effect of acupuncture is superior to moxibustion, which may be related to the benign regulation of acupuncture on autonomic nervous system.
目的：比较针刺与艾灸关元、足三里对气虚证心率变异性相关指标的即时效应。方法：将90例气虚证患者随机分为针刺组、艾灸组和非针灸组，每组30例。针刺组采用针刺治疗，穴取关元、足三里，留针15 min，仅治疗1次；艾灸组采用艾灸治疗，选穴、治疗时间同针刺组；非针灸组不予以任何干预。于治疗前后记录各组患者气虚证症状分级量化评分；于治疗前5 min，治疗5、10、15 min及治疗后5 min检测各组患者平均心率及心率变异性相关指标[总功率、低频（LF）、高频（HF）、低高频比值对数（log LF/HF）]。结果：针刺组及艾灸组治疗后气虚证症状分级量化评分均降低（P<0.05）。与治疗前比较，针刺组患者治疗5 min HF升高（P<0.05），治疗15 min及治疗后5 min HF均降低（P<0.05，P<0.01）；治疗5、10 min及治疗后5 min log LF/HF均升高（P<0.01）。针刺组治疗前后5 min平均心率差值高于艾灸组、非针灸组（P<0.05），log LF/HF变化幅度高于艾灸组及非针灸组（P<0.01，P<0.05）。结论：针刺与艾灸疗法对气虚证心率变异性均具有一定即时作用，针刺组优于艾灸组，这可能与针刺对自主神经系统的良性调节有关。.
Keywords: Point CV 4 (Guanyuan); Point ST 36 (Zusanli); acupuncture; heart rate; heart rate variability; immediate effect; moxibustion; qi deficiency syndrome.