COST-BENEFIT OF COMBINED USE OF ACUPUNCTURE, SHIATSU AND LIFE-STYLE ADJUSTMENT FOR TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH SEVERE ANGINA-PECTORIS

Sixty-nine patients with severe angina pectoris were treated with acup uncture, Shiatsu and lifestyle adjustments, and were followed for 2 ye ars. Forty-nine patients were candidates for coronary-artery bypass gr afting (CABG), whereas bypass grafting was rejected in the remaining 2 0 patients. We compared our endpoint findings with those of a large pr ospective, randomized trial comparing CABG with percutaneous translumi nal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). The incidence of death and myocardial infarction was 21% among the patients undergoing CABG, 15% among the patients undergoing PTCA and 7% among our patients. No significant dif ference was found concerning pain relief between the three groups. Inv asive treatment was postponed in 61% of our patients due to clinical i mprovement, and the annual number of in-hospital days was reduced by 9 0%, bringing about an estimated economic saving of 12,000 US $ for eac h of our patients. Despite the fact that the men in the present study, had significantly less positive expectations towards the outcome of t he treatment, when compared to the women, there was no significant dif ference concerning the effect. The study suggests that the combined tr eatment with acupuncture, Shiatsu and lifestyle adjustment may be high ly cost effective for patients with advanced angina pectoris.