Presentation summary

1/ Co-Authors
Yeh-Cheng Fu,
Yan-Lun Huang,
Pei-Shan Hsu,
Department of Chinese Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, New Taipei, Taiwan

Introduction :
Cardiac arrhythmias like PVCs often cause chest discomfort, dyspnea, and anxiety, impairing daily life. Whiledrugs are standard treatment, some patients seek complementary therapies; this case reports successfulsymptom relief with targeted acupuncture.

Methods :
A 49-year-old female with a history of PVCs, mitral valve prolapse, coronary artery fistula, and chronic sinusitispresented with persistent palpitations, chest tightness, and exertional shortness of breath for over one year.According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the case was identified as “Heart Qi deficiency with externalwind invasion.” An individualized acupuncture protocol was administered twice weekly over six weeks.Principal acupoints included GV20, ST36, KI3, HT3, LU5, and SP3. Complementary herbal therapy wasprescribed in parallel.

Results :
After six weeks, the patient reported marked relief, with palpitations, breathlessness, and chest tightnessdecreasing substantially. Objective assessment through 24-hour Holter monitoring demonstrated a dramaticreduction in PVC burden from 17.9% to 0.0%. Additionally, improvements were observed in sleep quality,vitality, and nasal symptoms. No adverse events were recorded during the treatment course.

Conclusion :
This case suggests that acupuncture may be an effective and well-tolerated adjunct to standard care for arrhythmia-related cardiopulmonary symptoms, potentially improving cardiac rhythm and quality of life. Largercontrolled studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Consent :
Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case report and all disclosed information.

2/ Co-Authors
Yeh-Cheng Fu – Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Taipei, Taiwana,
Yan-Lun Huang – Renxin Chinese Medicine Clinic, Taipei, Taiwan,
Zhu-Fang Zheng – Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Taipei, Taiwana,
Pei-Shan Xu – Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

Introduction :
Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) affect about 80% of patients, with 10–15% showing poor response to pharmacological or surgical treatments. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), PVCs are classified as “palpitations” and managed by regulating meridians to restore qi and normalize cardiac function. This case report presents successful acupuncture treatment for PVCs resistant to conventional therapy.

Method :
A 49-year-old female with a complex medical history—including arrhythmia, tachycardia, mitral valve prolapsewith regurgitation, coronary artery fistula, cardiomegaly, hepatitis B, chronic sinusitis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease—presented with recurrent chest tightness and shortness of breath persisting despite over a year of medical management. She initially reported symptom discomfort at 6 out of 10.
Electrocardiography (EKG) showed sinus rhythm with occasional PVCs, comprising 17.9% of heartbeats.Guided by TCM, treatment targeted Heart and Small Intestine meridians, closely related to cardiovascular function. Considering comorbidities, Liver, Gallbladder, Spleen, and Stomach (lower limbs), plus Lung, LargeIntestine, and Triple Burner (upper limbs) meridians were also treated to address cardiac symptoms and systemic balance.
Selected acupuncture points: GV20, ST36 (right), KI3 (left), HT3 (left), LU5 (bilateral), GB41 (left), SP3 (right),LI11 (right), SJ5 (right), LI4 (right), LI14 (bilateral), LR5 (bilateral).

Results : 
After one year, follow-up EKG normalized with no PVCs detected. The patient’s symptom discomfort decreased from 6 to 1 on a 10-point scale.

Conclusion :
Acupuncture is an effective treatment for refractory premature ventricular contractions.

Written informed consent was obtained from the patient and her family.