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NCT Number: NCT05585450

Effect of Electroacupuncture on Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

The study aims to assess the efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture among men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), compared with sham electroacupuncture.

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Key information

Conditions

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Genital Diseases Genital Diseases, Male Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Male Urogenital Diseases Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Prostatic Diseases Prostatic Hyperplasia Signs and Symptoms Urogenital Diseases Urological Manifestations

Age range

40 year–80 year

Sex eligibility

Male

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences

Beijing, Beijing Municipality, 100053, China

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Zhishun Liu

CONTACT

[email protected]

+861088002331

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Diagnosis of BPH in accordance with the European Association of Urology (EAU) guideline;
  • Male participants aged between 40 and 80 years;
  • Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) for at least three months;
  • IPSS total score ≥8;
  • Prostate volume ≥20 mL;
  • Urinary peak flow rate (Qmax) ≤15 mL/s;
  • Voluntary participation in the trial and signed written informed content.

Exclusion criteria

  • Post-void residual urine volume (PVR) ≥150 mL;
  • Acute urinary retention or catheterization for outflow obstruction within the 3 months (Except for post-surgical disposable catheterization);
  • Prostate cancer or prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level ≥4.0 ng/mL;
  • Neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction; prostatitis; uncontrolled symptomatic urinary tract infections; urethral strictures; bladder diverticula; bladder stones; bladder cancer; history of genitourinary system surgery (prostate, bladder, urethra, etc.);
  • Previous acupuncture treatment for BPH in the preceding one month, or α-blockers, 5α-reductase inhibitor, muscarinic receptor antagonists, or any other specific medication usage in the previous two weeks unless a stable 5α-reductase inhibitor usage of over three months;
  • Severe lung, heart, liver, kidney, metabolic, or mental illness, coagulation dysfunction, or with obvious cognitive dysfunction;
  • Installed cardiac pacemaker, allergy to metal, severe fear of acupuncture or unbearable to the stimulation of EA.

Treatment and study plan

Electroacupuncture

Device

BL32 and BL33 will be inserted by needles of 0.30×75mm size at an angle of 45°, inward and downward, to the depth of 60-70mm. BL35 will be inserted by needles of 0.30×75mm size, slightly outward and upward, to the depth of 60-70mm. SP6 will be inserted by needles of 0.30×40mm to the depth of 25-30mm. The needles will be lifted, thrust, and twisted evenly three times after insertion to induce the sensation of deqi.

The electronic acupuncture apparatus (Yingdi KWD 808I electro pulse acupuncture therapeutic apparatus, Changzhou Yingdi Electronic Medical Device Co., Ltd) will be connected to the four pairs of needles transversally, with a continuous wave of 5 Hertz (Hz) and an electric current of 2-6.5 milliampere (mA) for BL32, BL33 and BL35, and 0.5 mA-2mA for SP6.

Other names: EA

Sham electroacupuncture

Device

The four pairs of acupoints will be inserted by needles of 0.30×25mm or 0.30×40mm size to a depth of 2-3mm till the needles can stand still. No manipulations will be conducted, and the sensation of deqi will not be induced.

The electronic acupuncture apparatus (Yingdi KWD 808I electro pulse acupuncture therapeutic apparatus, Changzhou Yingdi Electronic Medical Device Co., Ltd) will be connected to the four pairs of needles transversally, with a continuous wave of 5 Hz and a minimal electric current (ideally at a degree which participant can just percept). In about 30 seconds, the electric current will be turned down, leaving the indicator light and ticking sound on.

Other names: SA

Primary outcomes

  1. The proportion of participants with at least 30% reduction in the total score of International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) from baseline

    Time frame: week 8

    The IPSS is a valid, reliable, and sensitive measure tool frequently used to evaluate the severity of lower urinary tract symptoms, including incomplete bladder emptying, frequency of urination, intermittency, urgency, weak urine stream, straining, and nocturia. The score of IPSS ranges from 0 to 35, with scores of 0 to 7 indicating mild symptoms; 8 to 19 indicating moderate symptoms; and 20 to 35 indicating severe symptoms.

  2. The proportion of participants with at least 30% reduction in the total score of International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) from baseline

    Time frame: week 20

    The IPSS is a valid, reliable, and sensitive measure tool frequently used to evaluate the severity of lower urinary tract symptoms, including incomplete bladder emptying, frequency of urination, intermittency, urgency, weak urine stream, straining, and nocturia. The score of IPSS ranges from 0 to 35, with scores of 0 to 7 indicating mild symptoms; 8 to 19 indicating moderate symptoms; and 20 to 35 indicating severe symptoms.

Secondary outcomes

  1. The change from baseline in the total score of IPSS

    Time frame: weeks 4, 8, 12, 20, 32

    The IPSS is a valid, reliable, and sensitive measure tool frequently used to evaluate the severity of lower urinary tract symptoms, including incomplete bladder emptying, frequency of urination, intermittency, urgency, weak urine stream, straining, and nocturia. The score of IPSS ranges from 0 to 35, with scores of 0 to 7 indicating mild symptoms; 8 to 19 indicating moderate symptoms; and 20 to 35 indicating severe symptoms.

  2. The proportion of participants with at least 30% reduction in the total score of IPSS from baseline

    Time frame: weeks 4, 12, 32

    The IPSS is a valid, reliable, and sensitive measure tool frequently used to evaluate the severity of lower urinary tract symptoms, including incomplete bladder emptying, frequency of urination, intermittency, urgency, weak urine stream, straining, and nocturia. The score of IPSS ranges from 0 to 35, with scores of 0 to 7 indicating mild symptoms; 8 to 19 indicating moderate symptoms; and 20 to 35 indicating severe symptoms.

  3. The proportion of participants with at least 50% reduction in the total score of IPSS from baseline

    Time frame: weeks 4, 8, 12, 20, 32

    The IPSS is a valid, reliable, and sensitive measure tool frequently used to evaluate the severity of lower urinary tract symptoms, including incomplete bladder emptying, frequency of urination, intermittency, urgency, weak urine stream, straining, and nocturia. The score of IPSS ranges from 0 to 35, with scores of 0 to 7 indicating mild symptoms; 8 to 19 indicating moderate symptoms; and 20 to 35 indicating severe symptoms.

  4. The change from baseline in the voiding and storage subscale scores of IPSS

    Time frame: weeks 4, 8, 12, 20, 32

    The IPSS is a valid, reliable, and sensitive measure tool frequently used to evaluate the severity of lower urinary tract symptoms, including incomplete bladder emptying, frequency of urination, intermittency, urgency, weak urine stream, straining, and nocturia. The score of IPSS ranges from 0 to 35, with scores of 0 to 7 indicating mild symptoms; 8 to 19 indicating moderate symptoms; and 20 to 35 indicating severe symptoms.

  5. The change from baseline in the number of nocturia

    Time frame: weeks 4, 8, 12, 20, 32

    Participants will be asked: During the last month, how many times did you most typically get up to urinate from the time you went to bed at night until the time you got up in the morning?

  6. The change from baseline in the quality of life (QOL) item of IPSS

    Time frame: weeks 4, 8, 12, 20, 32

    Participants will be asked the question: If you were to spend the rest of your life with your urinary condition just the way it is now, how would you feel about that? The response categorized into 7 degrees scoring 0 to 6, respectively: 0 (delighted), 1 (pleased), 2 (mostly satisfied), 3 (mixed about equally satisfied and dissatisfied), 5 (mostly dissatisfied), 5 (unhappy), and 6 (terrible).

  7. The change from baseline in the BPH Impact Index (BPH-II)

    Time frame: weeks 4, 8, 12, 20, 32

    The BPH-II measures the interference of LUTS in patients' mental health and activity. The total score of BPH-II ranges from 0 to 13, with higher scores indicating poorer quality of life.

  8. The change from baseline in the International Index of Erectile Function 5 (IIEF-5)

    Time frame: weeks 8, 20, 32

    The IIEF-5 is a valid and reliable instrument for detecting treatment effects in patients with erection dysfunction, ranging from 1 to 25, with lower scores indicating more severe dysfunction.

  9. The change from baseline in the hours of undisturbed sleep (HUS)

    Time frame: weeks 4, 8, 12, 20, 32

    HUS is defined as the duration from falling asleep till awake in the morning, or till the first nocturia if any.

  10. The change from baseline in the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)

    Time frame: weeks 8, 20, 32

    The HADS score ranges from 0 to 42, with higher scores indicating greater anxiety and depression.

  11. The change from baseline in the volume of prostate

    Time frame: week 8

    The prostate volume will be measured by transabdominal ultrasound.

  12. The change from baseline in the post-void residual urine volume

    Time frame: week 8

    The post-void residual urine volume will be measured by transabdominal ultrasound.

  13. The change from baseline in the urinary peak and average flow rate

    Time frame: week 8

    The urinary peak and average flow rate will be measured by uroflowmetry.

  14. The proportion of responders per the Patient Global Index of Improvement (PGI-I)

    Time frame: weeks 8, 20, 32

    The PGI-I evaluates the overall treatment effect perceived by patients themselves. The change can be rated in 7 levels, including "very much better", "much better", "a little better", "no change", "a little worse", "much worse" or "very much worse".

Other outcomes

  1. Expectance assessment

    Time frame: Baseline assessment (week 0)

    Participants will be asked: How do you expect your lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) will be in two months?

  2. Assessment of belief in acupuncture

    Time frame: Baseline assessment (week 0) and week 8

    Participants will be asked the question: Do you think your BPH may be helped by acupuncture? Time Frame: Baseline assessment (week 0) and week 8 Participants will be asked the question: Do you think your BPH may be helped by electroacupuncture?

  3. Blinding assessment

    Time frame: Within 5 minutes after either treatment at week 8

    Participants will be asked the question: Do you think you have received traditional electroacupuncture in the past 8 weeks?

  4. Safety assessment

    Time frame: Throughout the trial

    Adverse events and severe adverse events will be recorded in the case report form, whether related to interventions or not.

  5. Adherence assessment

    Time frame: weeks 1-8

    Adherence will be assessed via counting treatment sessions. Those who complete over 80% treatment sessions will be defined as of good adherence.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Lili Zhu

CONTACT

[email protected]

+8618851182160

Zhishun Liu

CONTACT

[email protected]

+861088002331

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Guang'anmen Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Effect of Electroacupuncture on Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Acronym: EABPH

Important dates

Study start
2023
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
Oct 18, 2022
Registry last updated
Jul 18, 2024

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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