Trial results for a study investigating acupuncture to enhance pulmonary rehabilitation for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) were posted on 2025-11-03. The trial was TERMINATED after enrolling only 13 participants. A mean change in Forced Expiratory Volume in One Second (FEV1) of 1.38 Liters was reported for one intervention arm.
Background
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a progressive lung disease that causes obstructed airflow from the lungs, leading to symptoms like shortness of breath, cough, and wheezing. Standard treatment often includes pulmonary rehabilitation, which helps improve lung function and quality of life. This study aimed to explore whether combining acupuncture with standard pulmonary rehabilitation could further improve pulmonary function, exercise tolerance, reduce stress, and modulate inflammatory effects in patients with COPD.
Trial design
This study, designated as Phase NA, was terminated early after enrolling 13 participants. The trial focused on patients with COPD. The intervention explored the effect of acupuncture combined with standard pulmonary rehabilitation. One reported group was "Arm A: 12 week intervention, 8 week control".
Key results
The trial reported one key measurement:
- Change in Forced Expiratory Volume in One Second (FEV1):
- For the group "Arm A: 12 week intervention, 8 week control", a mean value of 1.38 Liters was observed.
What this means
The early termination of this trial and its very low enrollment of 13 participants significantly limit the interpretability and generalizability of the reported results. While a mean change of 1.38 Liters in FEV1 was observed in one intervention arm, this single measurement from a terminated, under-enrolled study does not provide robust evidence for the efficacy of acupuncture in enhancing pulmonary rehabilitation for COPD. Further, larger, and completed studies would be necessary to draw any definitive conclusions regarding the potential benefits of this intervention.
Source
The information regarding these trial results was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a public database of clinical studies. The results for the study NCT04947800, titled "Acupuncture to Enhance for Pulmonary Rehab", were posted on 2025-11-03 on clinicaltrials.gov.