Influence of moxibustion temperatures on blood lipids, endothelin-1 and nitric oxide in hyperlipidemia patients

The authors of this trial applied moxibustion at the points Zusanli ST-36 and Shenque REN-8 to subjects with hyperlipidaemia, who were randomly assigned to two groups: a treatment group, where the skin was heated to 45 degrees Celsius, and a control group, where the skin was heated to just 38 degrees Celsius. A treatment session involved moxibustion for 10 minutes at each point once every other day for 12 weeks. The results showed that the treatment group experienced significantly greater improvements in total cholesterol, triglyceride, endothelin-1 and nitric oxide levels compared to the control group. The authors conclude that in order to beneficially affect these markers of cardiovascular health using moxibustion, the skin has to be heated to a sufficient temperature. [Oct 2013]