Clinical characteristics of acupoint sensitization in patients with essential hypertension: a cross-sectional matched case-control study

doi:10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.20251030.001

Abstract

Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: To observe the characteristics of acupoint sensitization in patients with essential hypertension, analyze the mechanical pain threshold and tenderness threshold of each acupoint, and summarize the clinical characteristics of high-sensitivity acupoints.

METHODS: This study employed a cross-sectional matched case-control design and enrolled a total of 448 volunteer participants, including 224 patients with hypertension and 224 healthy controls. The main outcome measures included measuring the mechanical pain threshold and tenderness threshold of 16 highly sensitive acupoints in both hypertensive subjects and healthy controls. The receiver operating characteristic curve method was used to evaluate the sensitivity of each acupoint. Additionally, the rules of mechanical pain threshold, tenderness threshold sensitization rate, and degree of sensitization of each acupoint in hypertension patients were summarized to identify the optimal highly sensitive acupoints related to hypertension.

RESUITS: The mechanical pain threshold and tenderness threshold of hypertensive patients were significantly lower than those of healthy subjects, the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001), indicating that the mechanical pain threshold and tenderness threshold of hypertensive patients at various points had a downward trend. Acupoints with high incidence of sensitization in hypertensive patients include Quchi (LI11), Taichong (LR3), Fenglong (ST40), Xingjian (LR2), Taixi (KI3) and Renying (ST9).

CONCLUSION: This study successfully achieved the objective of exploring acupoint sensitization in patients with primary hypertension. Hypertensive patients exhibited significantly lower mechanical pain thresholds and pressure pain thresholds compared to healthy subjects. These findings provide clinical evidence for acupoint selection in acupuncture treatment for primary hypertension.

Key words: essential hypertension, acupoint sensitization, ROC analyses, cross-sectional studies, case-control studies

GONG Yu, HAO Xiaomin, LIU Qingguo, TIAN Junjian, LIU Yu. Clinical characteristics of acupoint sensitization in patients with essential hypertension: a cross-sectional matched case-control study[J]. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2026, 46(3): 684-694.

Figures/Tables 5

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Item	Hypertension patients (n = 224)	Healthy controls (n = 224)	Statistical magnitude (t/F value)	P value
Age (years)	56±11	56±10	0.239	0.811
Gender (male/female, n)	116/108	110/114	0.321	0.570
BMI	25±4	24±4	2.352	0.051
Duration of disease (years)	12±6	0.00		< 0.001^a

Item	Hypertension patients (n = 224)	Healthy controls (n = 224)	Statistical magnitude (t/F value)	P value
Age (years)	56±11	56±10	0.239	0.811
Gender (male/female, n)	116/108	110/114	0.321	0.570
BMI	25±4	24±4	2.352	0.051
Duration of disease (years)	12±6	0.00		< 0.001^a

Acupoint	Hypertension patients (g)	Healthy controls (g)	P value	Diagnostic threshold (g)	Sensitivity	Specificity	Youden index	Patient sensitization rate (%)	Sensitization rate of healthy controls (%)
Quchi (LI11)	53.7±16.7	97.7±38.7	<0.001^a	80.95	0.679	0.04	0.638	95.98	32.14
Neiguan (PC6)	46.3±14.8	79.8±39.8	<0.001^a	67.51	0.589	0.071	0.518	87.5	41.07
Hegu (LI4)	51.3±15.7	82.1±31.9	<0.001^a	70.125	0.625	0.107	0.518	89.29	37.5
Taichong (LR3)	40.3±13.7	74.8±32.4	<0.001^a	55.845	0.719	0.125	0.594	92.86	28.13
Sanyinjiao (SP6)	60.2±18.9	99.8±43.9	<0.001^a	82.225	0.625	0.103	0.522	89.73	37.5
Zusanli (ST36)	61.7±18.5	101.3±40.4	<0.001^a	82.795	0.656	0.094	0.563	90.63	34.38
Fenglong (ST40)	62.4±17.5	102.3±40.3	<0.001^a	85.52	0.629	0.08	0.549	91.96	37.05
Xingjian (LR2)	38.3±11.5	70.3±33.8	<0.001^a	56.49	0.661	0.054	0.607	94.64	33.93
Taixi (KI3)	50.9±17.8	94.6±39.7	<0.001^a	72.345	0.679	0.054	0.625	94.64	32.14
Yongquan (KI1)	36.8±11.9	68.7±30.9	<0.001^a	56.185	0.652	0.063	0.589	93.75	34.82
Baihui (GV20)	59.6±18.9	99.6±44.4	<0.001^a	82.795	0.598	0.112	0.487	88.84	40.18
Fengchi (GB20)	58.19±18.9	98.6±44.2	<0.001^a	77.605	0.656	0.125	0.531	87.5	34.38
Renying (ST9)	54.2±17.7	94.1±37.6	<0.001^a	55.485	0.853	0.089	0.763	89.07	14.73
Xinshu (BL15)	63.9±20.8	103.4±37.8	<0.001^a	86.31	0.656	0.121	0.536	87.95	34.38
Ganshu (BL18)	64.0±17.5	105.05±43.8	<0.001^a	89.58	0.638	0.058	0.58	94.2	36.16
Shenshu (BL23)	64.9±18.3	106.0±44.5	<0.001^a	96.225	0.679	0.112	0.567	88.84	32.14

Acupoint	Hypertension patients (g)	Healthy controls (g)	P value	Diagnostic threshold (g)	Sensitivity	Specificity	Youden index	Patient sensitization rate (%)	Sensitization rate of healthy controls (%)
Quchi (LI11)	53.7±16.7	97.7±38.7	<0.001^a	80.95	0.679	0.04	0.638	95.98	32.14
Neiguan (PC6)	46.3±14.8	79.8±39.8	<0.001^a	67.51	0.589	0.071	0.518	87.5	41.07
Hegu (LI4)	51.3±15.7	82.1±31.9	<0.001^a	70.125	0.625	0.107	0.518	89.29	37.5
Taichong (LR3)	40.3±13.7	74.8±32.4	<0.001^a	55.845	0.719	0.125	0.594	92.86	28.13
Sanyinjiao (SP6)	60.2±18.9	99.8±43.9	<0.001^a	82.225	0.625	0.103	0.522	89.73	37.5
Zusanli (ST36)	61.7±18.5	101.3±40.4	<0.001^a	82.795	0.656	0.094	0.563	90.63	34.38
Fenglong (ST40)	62.4±17.5	102.3±40.3	<0.001^a	85.52	0.629	0.08	0.549	91.96	37.05
Xingjian (LR2)	38.3±11.5	70.3±33.8	<0.001^a	56.49	0.661	0.054	0.607	94.64	33.93
Taixi (KI3)	50.9±17.8	94.6±39.7	<0.001^a	72.345	0.679	0.054	0.625	94.64	32.14
Yongquan (KI1)	36.8±11.9	68.7±30.9	<0.001^a	56.185	0.652	0.063	0.589	93.75	34.82
Baihui (GV20)	59.6±18.9	99.6±44.4	<0.001^a	82.795	0.598	0.112	0.487	88.84	40.18
Fengchi (GB20)	58.19±18.9	98.6±44.2	<0.001^a	77.605	0.656	0.125	0.531	87.5	34.38
Renying (ST9)	54.2±17.7	94.1±37.6	<0.001^a	55.485	0.853	0.089	0.763	89.07	14.73
Xinshu (BL15)	63.9±20.8	103.4±37.8	<0.001^a	86.31	0.656	0.121	0.536	87.95	34.38
Ganshu (BL18)	64.0±17.5	105.05±43.8	<0.001^a	89.58	0.638	0.058	0.58	94.2	36.16
Shenshu (BL23)	64.9±18.3	106.0±44.5	<0.001^a	96.225	0.679	0.112	0.567	88.84	32.14

Acupoint	Hypertension patients (g)	Healthy controls (g)	P value		Sensitivity	Specificity	Youden Index
Quchi (LI11)	1946±646	3745±1506	<0.001^a	2853	0.75	0.07	0.68	93	25
Neiguan (PC6)	1597±546	3007±1196	<0.001^a	2319	0.78	0.15	0.63	95	28
Hegu (LI4)	1769±590	3468±1511	<0.001^a	2406	0.72	0.05	0.67	85	22
Taichong (LR3)	1362±442	2657±1118	<0.001^a	1995	0.72	0.05	0.67	97	28
Sanyinjiao (SP6)	2452±854	4569±1636	<0.001^a	3647	0.75	0.07	0.68	93	25
Zusanli (ST36)	2464±867	4582±1752	<0.001^a	3443	0.80	0.10	0.70	90	20
Fenglong (ST40)	2484±897	4593±1807	<0.001^a	3708	0.68	0.07	0.62	93	32
Xingjian (LR2)	1458±452	2689±1008	<0.001^a	2185	0.72	0.03	0.68	95	28
Taixi (KI3)	1865±657	3768±1687	<0.001^a	2708	0.73	0.03	0.70	95	27
Yongquan (KI1)	1501±543	2931±1328	<0.001^a	2354	0.77	0.07	0.70	94	23
Baihui (GV20)	2062±787	4355±1775	<0.001^a	3117	0.73	0.03	0.70	95	27
Fengchi (GB20)	1957±664	3759±1546	<0.001^a	2635	0.70	0.10	0.60	90	30
Renying (ST9)	1562±543	2957±1225	<0.001^a	2442	0.70	0.07	0.63	93	30
Xinshu (BL15)	2604±1427	4630±1922	<0.001^a	3507	0.77	0.28	0.48	72	23
Ganshu (BL18)	2810±1651	4518±1835	<0.001^a	4383	0.52	0.12	0.40	88	38
Shenshu (BL23)	3028±1822	4686±1941	<0.001^a	5260	0.47	0.08	0.38	92	43

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