Search

Background: Hot flashes are a common side effect of endocrine therapy (ET) that contribute to poor quality of life and decreased treatment adherence. Methods: Patients with breast cancer wo were receiving ET and experiencing hot flashes were enrolled through three parallel, randomized trials conducted in the United States, China, and South Korea. Participants were randomized to either immediate acupuncture (IA) or delayed acupuncture control (DAC). IA participants received 20 acupuncture sessions over 10 weeks, whereas DAC participants received usual care, then crossed over to acupuncture with a reduced intensity. The primary end point was a change in score on the endocrine symptom subscale of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT)‐Endocrine Symptoms between baseline and week 10. Secondary end points included the hot flash score and the FACT‐Breast score. A planned pooled analysis of individual patient data was performed using longitudinal mixed models. Results: In total, 158 women with stage 0–III breast cancer were randomized (United States, n = 78; China, n = 40; South Korea, n = 40). At week 10, IA participants reported statistically significant improvements in the endocrine symptom subscale score (mean change ± standard error: 5.1 ± 0.9 vs. 0.2 ± 1.0; p =.0003), the hot flash score (−5.3 ± 0.9 vs. −1.4 ± 0.9; p <.003), and the FACT‐Breast total score (8.0 ± 1.6 vs. −0.01 ± 1.6; p =.0005) compared with DAC participants. The effect of the acupuncture intervention differed by site (p =.005). Conclusions: Acupuncture led to statistically and clinically meaningful improvements in hot flashes, endocrine symptoms, and breast cancer‐specific quality of life in women undergoing ET for breast cancer in the United States, China, and South Korea. In a pooled analysis of three parallel trials, acupuncture significantly reduced hot flashes and other endocrine symptoms in women with stage 0–III breast cancer undergoing endocrine therapy in the United States, China, and South Korea. In the women studied, acupuncture led to statistically and clinically meaningful improvements in hot flashes, endocrine symptoms, and breast cancer‐specific quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Yoga may promote health via a complex modulation of inflammation. Little is known about oxylipins, a class of circulating mediators involved in inflammation resolution. Objective: To explore the acute effects of yoga exercise on systemic levels of oxylipins. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of a three-arm (high-intensity-yoga: HY, n = 10); moderate-intensity-yoga: MY, n = 10; and no-intervention-control: CON, n = 10) pilot randomized controlled trial employing a single bout of yoga exercise. Blood samples (baseline and 4-timepoint post-intervention) were used for an unbiased metabolipidomic profiling analysis. Net Areas Under the Curve per oxylipin were evaluated for each group. Results: Lipoxin(LX)B4, prostaglandin(PG)D2, and resolvin(Rv)D3 exhibited a greater magnitude of change in HY compared with MY and CON. Conclusion: Findings inform the design of future trials exploring the acute effects of yoga exercise on oxylipins' systemic levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Despite substantial progress made in the field of acupuncture research, the existence and specificity of acupoints remain controversial. In recent years, the concept of acupoint sensitization has emerged as a theoretical framework for understanding acupoints as dynamic functional entities that are sensitized in pathological conditions. Based on this premise, some have claimed that specific acupoints are thermally distinct between healthy and clinical populations, but no systematic review has been conducted to synthesize and evaluate the quality of studies supporting such claims. In this review, we provide a summary and quality assessment of the existing literature addressing the question of whether changes in skin temperature at specific acupoints are indicative of pathological conditions. Methods: A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, EMBASE, and AltHealthWatch (EBSCO Host), by combining variations of search terms relevant to acupoints and temperature. The search was limited to the English language, and publication dates ranged from database inception to December 2020. Two authors independently screened all resulting abstracts and subsequently read full-text articles for eligibility. Information on study design, sample, acupoints, parameters of skin temperature assessments, and main findings were extracted from included studies. Quality of the thermal sensing methodology was evaluated using a thermal assessment checklist, adapted from the Thermographic Imaging in Sports and Exercise Medicine (TISEM) consensus checklist, and a modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) for case-control studies. Results: The search strategy yielded a total of 1771 studies, of which 10 articles met the eligibility criteria. Eight studies compared skin temperature at acupoints in healthy versus clinical populations, and two studies assessed within-subject changes in temperature of acupoints in relation to changes in health status. There were seven clinical conditions examined in the included studies: chronic bronchial asthma, chronic hepatitis, hyperplasia of mammary glands, infertility, intracranial hypertension, obesity, and primary dysmenorrhea. There were numerous methodological quality issues related to skin temperature measurements. Eight studies with case-control designs reported significant differences between healthy and clinical populations in temperature at certain acupoints. Two studies with pre-post designs reported that changes in health-disease status could be associated with changes in temperature at specific acupoints. Conclusion: A review of the available literature suggests that certain acupoints may be thermally distinct between healthy and unhealthy states. However, given the methodological limitations and heterogeneity across included studies, no definitive conclusion could be drawn as to whether changes in skin temperature at specific acupoints are indicative of pathological conditions.

Purpose: Pain is multi-dimensional and may be better addressed through a holistic, biopsychosocial approach. Massage therapy is commonly practiced among patients seeking pain management; however, its efficacy is unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis is the first to rigorously assess the quality of massage therapy research and evidence for its efficacy in treating pain, function-related and health-related quality of life outcomes across all pain populations., Methods: Key databases were searched from inception through February 2014. Eligible randomized controlled trials were assessed for methodological quality using SIGN 50 Checklist. Meta-analysis was applied at the outcome level. A diverse steering committee interpreted the results to develop recommendations., Results: Sixty high quality and seven low quality studies were included in the review. Results demonstrate massage therapy effectively treats pain compared to sham [standardized mean difference (SMD) = -.44], no treatment (SMD = -1.14), and active (SMD = -0.26) comparators. Compared to active comparators, massage therapy was also beneficial for treating anxiety (SMD = -0.57) and health-related quality of life (SMD = 0.14)., Conclusion: Based on the evidence, massage therapy, compared to no treatment, should be strongly recommended as a pain management option. Massage therapy is weakly recommended for reducing pain, compared to other sham or active comparators, and improving mood and health-related quality of life, compared to other active comparators. Massage therapy safety, research challenges, how to address identified research gaps, and necessary next steps for implementing massage therapy as a viable pain management option are discussed.