April 13, 2001

Marsha Watson was surprised to find that having small needles stuck into her back, neck, ankles and ear was a pleasant experience. As a nurse working in the MGH Cardiac Step-down Unit, Watson isn't used to being on the receiving end of a needle. But she is willing to be poked and prodded as part of an MGH study that will look at the efficacy of the Chinese practice of acupuncture in treating high blood pressure, also known as hypertension.

Acupuncturist Nicole Stockholm removes
a needle from Marsha Watson's ear.

Diagnosed with high blood pressure 10 years ago, Watson has used several different medications — with varying degrees of success — to treat her condition. When Watson's physician, Randall Zusman, MD, director of Hypertension and Vascular Medicine at the MGH, suggested that she participate in the acupuncture study, she jumped at the chance.

"My ultimate hope is that this could cure hypertension," says Watson. "But it still will be beneficial to patients if it means taking fewer medications, suffering less from side effects and having more control over this condition. And I have found the whole acupuncture process to be very relaxing and quite pleasant."

The MGH and the New England Research Institutes have reached a multimillion dollar cooperative agreement with the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine of the National Institutes of Health to conduct the pilot study. It will involve 180 participants and is called Stop Hypertension with the Acupuncture Research Program (SHARP).

About 50 million Americans suffer from high blood pressure. Conventional medications are expensive and may leave patients with unpleasant side effects, such as ankle swelling, fatigue, depression and sexual dysfunction.

Acupuncture may prove to be a more effective way to treat these patients. It also may reduce the need for medications. Using small needles to puncture the skin, acupuncture activates sensory glands, which are believed to release endorphins — the body's natural painkillers.

"High blood pressure is a significant health problem in the United States, and a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke," says Zusman, who is an investigator on the study. "While there is some indication that acupuncture may reduce high blood pressure, previous studies have not been properly designed to get accurate scientific results."

Zusman and his colleagues hope to demonstrate that alternative medical therapies are effective in controlling the blood pressure of a significant number of patients without dependence on drug therapy.

For more information about the study, call (617) 724-0407.