OBJECTIVETo compare the therapeutic effects of acupuncture and western medicine for treatment of chronic atrophic gastritis.

METHODSEighty cases of chronic atrophic gastritis were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 40 cases in each group. The observation group was treated with acupuncture and moxibustion on Guanyuan (CV 4), Qihai (CV 6), Zusanli (ST 36), Xuehai (SP 10), Geshu (BL 17); and the control group with oral administration of western medicine, Omeprazole and Amoxicillin, etc. Evaluation of the scores of clinical symptoms, gastroscopic inspection and histopathologic examination of the gastric mucosa were carried out before treatment and after treatment of 4 and 8 weeks in each group to compare the therapeutic effects between the two groups.

RESULTSThe total effective rate of 92.5% in the acupuncture group was better than 75.0% in the con trol group (P < 0.05). For the pathologic changes of gastric mucosa by the gastroscopic inspection, the total effec tive rate of 85.0% in the acupuncture group was superior to 65.0% in the control group (P < 0.05), and for the improvement of histopathologic aspect, the total effective rate of 87.5% in the acupuncture group was better than 65.0% in the control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture therapy can significantly improve the clinical symptoms, gastroscopic expression and histopathologic situation in the patients of chronic atrophic gastritis, and its therapeutic effect is better than that of the western medicine.