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Efficacy of Wet Cupping on Blood Pressure Among Hypertension Patients

The Efficacy of Wet Cupping on Blood Pressure Among Hypertension Patients in Jeddah, 2013, A Pilot Study

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT01853371
Enrollment
20
Registered
2013-05-15
Start date
2013-06-30
Completion date
Unknown
Last updated
2014-12-11

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Hypertension

Brief summary

This research proposal is submitted to fulfill the requirement of the PHD degree of Community Medicine Saudi Board at the Joint Program of Family and Community Medicine in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Background: Cupping is an ancient treatment remedy that has been used for many centuries in many parts of the world. In the Middle East, Wet cupping Hijama is still a popular treatment because of its religious background. Despite of that, it still has little scientific evidence that proves its efficacy. Many hijama healers claim that they have observed dramatic improvement in Blood pressure control of hypertension patients. Not many studies support that. This study should help to prove or disprove this hypothesis. Objectives: * To determine the efficacy of wet cupping on blood pressure among high blood pressure patients. * To assess the incidence of wet cupping side effects in the intervention group. Methods: The study design is a randomised controlled trial. There will be an intervention group of high blood pressure patients who will perform hijama in addition to their usual management, and a control group of high blood pressure patients who will receive their usual anti-hypertension management only. There will be 4 weeks follow up period. After that, data entry, analysis and interpretation will take place. Hypothesis: Wet cupping has an effect on blood pressure in adult hypertension patients

Interventions

PROCEDUREWet cupping

Wet cupping is the process of using a vacuum at different points on the body in order to gather the blood in that area. Then apply few superficial incisions (small, light scratches using a razor) on those areas, followed by repeating the vacuum on the same areas in order to remove 'harmful' blood which lies just beneath the surface of the skin. In this study, the wet cupping procedure was not done on certain days of the lunar month.

OTHERConventional treatment

According to Saudi Hypertension management guidelines, hypertension patients may require life style modification alone , especially for newly diagnosed cases, or my require life style modification and drug treatment. This will be decided by the treating team in the hospital.

Sponsors

Joint Program of Family and Community Medicine, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
CollaboratorOTHER
King Fahd Medical Research Centre
CollaboratorOTHER
King Abdulaziz University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
19 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* High BP at the time of the study (SBP 140 mmHg or more and/or DBP 90mmHg or more). For patients with DM, high BP is defined as SBP 130 mmHg or more and/or DBP 85mmHg or more. * Age between 19 and 65 years old. * Males and females

Exclusion criteria

* Grade III Hypertension (SBP 180 mmHg or more and/or DBP 110 BP or more). * Patients with very high added risk,according to the Saudi Hypertension management guidelines. By excluding the patient who have associated clinical conditions which are: cerebrovascular disease, heart disease, renal disease, peripheral vascular disease and advanced retinopathy. * Patients with secondary hypertension. * Pregnant women. * If the patient performed dry cupping, wet cupping or acupuncture during the past 6 months.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frame
Systolic Blood Pressure After 4 Weeks1 month
Diastolic Blood Pressure After 4 Weeks1 month

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Incidence of Wet Cupping Side Effects in Intervention Group1 month* Immediate side effects of wet cupping will be assessed through a checklist on the after each cupping session. * Delayed side effects of wet cupping will be assessed through another checklist after 1 month of the final hijama session.

Countries

Saudi Arabia

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Wet Cupping and Conventional Treatment
Wet cupping: Will be administered through 3 sessions, with 4 weeks interval between each session and the other. Conventional treatment: Is the usual anti-HTN treatment taken by the patients at the King Abdulaziz university hospital outpatient department. Wet cupping: Wet cupping is the process of using a vacuum at different points on the body in order to gather the blood in that area. Then apply few superficial incisions (small, light scratches using a razor) on those areas, followed by repeating the vacuum on the same areas in order to remove 'harmful' blood which lies just beneath the surface of the skin. In this study, the wet cupping procedure was not done on certain days of the lunar month. Conventional treatment: According to Saudi Hypertension management guidelines, hypertension patients may require life style modification alone , especially for newly diagnosed cases, or my require life style modification and drug treatment.
10
Conventional Treatment
Conventional treatment: Is the usual anti-HTN treatment taken by the patients at the King Abdulaziz university hospital outpatient department. Conventional treatment: According to Saudi Hypertension management guidelines, hypertension patients may require life style modification alone , especially for newly diagnosed cases, or my require life style modification and drug treatment. This will be decided by the treating team in the hospital.
8
Total18

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicTotalWet Cupping and Conventional TreatmentConventional Treatment
Age, Continuous51.06 Years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 8.07
52.20 Years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 7.22
49.43 Years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 9.5
Baseline Diastolic Blood Pressure91.9 mmHg
STANDARD_DEVIATION 10.2
90.6 mmHg
STANDARD_DEVIATION 10.3
93.5 mmHg
STANDARD_DEVIATION 10.6
Basline Systolic Blood Pressure155.3 mmHg
STANDARD_DEVIATION 13.3
160.1 mmHg
STANDARD_DEVIATION 13.5
149.4 mmHg
STANDARD_DEVIATION 11.1
Sex: Female, Male
Female
11 Participants6 Participants5 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
7 Participants4 Participants3 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
— / —— / —
other
Total, other adverse events
4 / 100 / 8
serious
Total, serious adverse events
0 / 100 / 8

Outcome results

Primary

Diastolic Blood Pressure After 4 Weeks

Time frame: 1 month

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Wet Cupping and Conventional TreatmentDiastolic Blood Pressure After 4 Weeks91 mmHgStandard Deviation 9.3
Conventional TreatmentDiastolic Blood Pressure After 4 Weeks88 mmHgStandard Deviation 11
Primary

Systolic Blood Pressure After 4 Weeks

Time frame: 1 month

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Wet Cupping and Conventional TreatmentSystolic Blood Pressure After 4 Weeks158.3 mmHgStandard Deviation 15.9
Conventional TreatmentSystolic Blood Pressure After 4 Weeks138.9 mmHgStandard Deviation 12.8
Secondary

Incidence of Wet Cupping Side Effects in Intervention Group

* Immediate side effects of wet cupping will be assessed through a checklist on the after each cupping session. * Delayed side effects of wet cupping will be assessed through another checklist after 1 month of the final hijama session.

Time frame: 1 month

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026