In the treatment of myocardial infarction, acupuncture may improve cardiac function, relieve some symptoms (particularly pain, dyspnea and palpitations), and reduce arrhythmias and sudden death. In patients with angina pectoris, acupuncture may help decrease angina attack rates, mean chest pain scores, glyceryl trinitrate consumption, as well as increase exercise tolerance and cardiac work capacity. In patients with acute myocardial infarction, acupuncture can significantly improve left ventricular function, stroke volume and small blood vessel diameter. The effects seem to be cumulative, with more treatment sessions creating more prominent changes. Several authors have noted that pulse and BP remain suprisingly stable during surgery under electroacupuncture analgesia.

Sternfield M, Shalev Y, Eliraz A, Kauli N, Hod I, Bentwich Z. 1987 Effect of acupuncture on symptomatology and objective cardiac parameters in angina pectoris. American Journal of Acupuncture 15(2):149-152: RESULTS: 15 cases of angina treated with acupuncture for 39 sessions. 13 achieved significant pain relief and a decrease in drug consumption.

Yin K, Jia C 1991. Treatment of chronic coronary insufficiency with acupuncture on Ximen point. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 11(2):99-100. RESULTS: “ECG improvements in 70 out of 86 angina patients.”

Radzievsky S A, Fisenko L A, Dmitricv V K 1988 Possible mechanisms of acupuncture as an independent method for treating ischaemic heart disease. American Journal of Acupuncture 16(4):323-328. RESULTS: 48 angina patients who were given 20-30 acupuncture treatments. Reported reduction in glyceryl trinitrate consumption, anxiety and improved exercise performance on a bicyle ergometer. Hypertensive subjects also showed improvement in BP, inotropic pumping function and myocardial relaxation function.

Richter A, Herlitz J, Hjalmarson A 1991 Effect of acupuncture in patients with angina pectoris. European Heart journal 12:175-178. RESULTS: 21 patients with stable angina treated with acupuncture for 12 weeks. The average number of attacks per 4 weeks fell from an average of 12.0 during the run-in period to 6.1 during the acupuncture treatment and 10.6 during placebo period. On exercise training, performance before the onset of pain improved with acupuncture. There was a reduction in the mean chest pain score at maximal performance.

Ballegaard et al 1990. Effects of acupuncture in moderate, stable angina pectoris: a controlled study. Journal of Internal Medicine 227:25-30. RESULTS: a sample of 49 patients wit hmoderate stable angina were treated with acupuncture. They hsowed a median 50% fall in glyceryl trinitrate consumption and angina rate.

Ballegaard et al 1995. Acupuncture in angina pectoris: do psycho-social and neurophysiological factors relate to the effect? Acupuncture and Electro-therapeutics Research 20: 101-116. RESULTS: Acupuncture had positive effects on exercise tolerance, caridac work capacity and decreased glyceryl trinitrate consumption. Personality and psychosocial factors were found not to be correlated with the response to acupuncture.

Li C, Bi L, Zhu B et al 1986. Effects of acupuncture on left ventricular function, microcirculation, cAMP and cGMP of acute myocardial infarction patients. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 6:157-161. RESULTS: 32 randomized pateints with acute myocardial infarction received standard care plus acupuncture or standard care alone. Acupuncture treatment was given daily for 24 sessions. The acupuncture group showed significant improvements in left ventricular function and stroke volume and small blood vessel diameter (assessed by fundoscopy). All changes were more prominent after 24 than after 12 treatments, suggesting that the effects of acupuncture cumulative.

Hollinger J A, I R, Pongratz W, Baum M 1979 Acupuncture anesthesia for open heart surgery: a report of 800 cases. American Journal of Chinese Medicine 7(1):'77-90. RESULTS: Authors note that pulse and BP remain stable during surgery under electroacupuncture analgesia.

Kho H G, Eijk R J R, Kapteijns W M M J, van Egmond f 1991a Forum. Acupuncture and transcutaneous stimulation analgesia in comparison with moderate-dose tentanyl anaesthesia in major surgery. Clinical efficacy and influence on recovery and morbidity. Anaesthesia 46:129-135. RESULTS: Authors note that pulse and BP remain stable during surgery under electroacupuncture analgesia.

Gao Z, Yu X, Shen A, et al 1987. Acupuncture treatment of 54 cases of sinus bradycardia. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 7(3):183-189. RESULTS: 54 patients with sinus bradycardia who were unresponsive to previous medication were treated with acupuncture and lifestyle advice. 35 had improvement in symptoms and and a rise in pulse rate to over 60 bpm (>20%).