Systematic Review of the Effect of Moxibustion in the Treatment of Dyslipidaemia

Objective: To evaluate moxibustion therapy in the treatment of dyslipidaemia through a review of the literature. Design: Systematic integrative review based on PRISMA. Data sources: The search was undertaken in the following databases: PubMed, Springer, Europe PMC, and Elsevier using as keywords'dyslipidaemia’,’moxibustion’,’hyperlipidaemia’,’hypercholesterolaemia’, and a combination of these. We searched for studies in murine models and human clinical trials, published between 2005 and 2020. Selection of studies: We selected 40 publications written in English and Chinese. Publications without a unique and permanent registration number for electronic publications (DOI), and literature reviews, dissertations, theses, and clinical guidelines were eliminated. Twelve publications were included, eight were clinical trials, and four were studies in murine models. Results: Analysis of the studies indicated that moxibustion has positive effects in this disorder. This was demonstrated by significant changes in biochemical parameters after treatment. Total cholesterol decreased in all studies in murine models and in 75% of human trials, LDL-C decreased by 75% and 62.5%, and triglycerides by 50% and 62.5%, in murine models and human trials, respectively. The most used sites were Fenglong (E 40), Zusanli (E 36), Shenque (RM 8) and Tianshu (E 25). Therapies were applied for between 10 and 30 minutes for 2 to 12 weeks, modulation of parameters was detected from week 2. Conclusions: Moxibustion benefits patients with dyslipidaemia by decreasing total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL-C, and increasing HDL-C.