OBJECTIVETo observe the differences of therapeutic effect of acupoint pressing, Nitroglycerin and Suxiaojiuxin pill on angina pectoris (AP) due to coronary heart disease (CHD).

METHODSOne hundred and six ty-eight patients with AP due to CHD were randomly divided into an acupoint pressing group (n = 58), a Nitro glycerin group (n = 56) and a Suxiaojiuxin pill group (n = 54) and were treated with acupoint pressing at Danzhong (CV 17) for 5-10 minutes, sublingual administration of Nitroglycerin and sublingual administration of Suxiaojiuxin pill, respectively. Symptoms, improvements in ECG, the time of producing effectiveness and adverse effects in all the groups were observed.

RESULTSThe total effective rate and the effective rate of ECG were 93.1% (54/58) and 86.2% (50/58) in the acupoint pressing group respectively, 92.9% (52/56) and 85.7% (48/56) in the Nitroglycerin group, and 87.0% (47/54) and 75.9% (41/54) in the Suxiaojiuxin pill group, with no significant differences among the three groups (all P > 0.05). The average time of producing effectiveness was (1.67 +/- 2.45) min in the acupoint pressing group which was shorter than (2.89 +/- 2.64) min in the Nitroglycerin group and (3.75 +/- 2.99) min in the Suxiaojiuxin pill group (P < 0.05, P < 0.001). During the treatment, there were no adverse effects in the acupoint pressing group, which less than 19 cases in the Nitroglycerin group and 12 cases in the Suxiaojiuxin pill group (both P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAcupoint pressing can significantly improve symptoms of AP patients with a similar therapeutic effect to Nitroglycerin and Suxiaojiuxin pill, but it has more rapid therapeutic effect without adverse effects.