Acupuncture: Acupuncture will be administered twice weekly for 5 weeks (10 sessions total) at predefined bilateral acupoints: LU1, LU9, LI18, ST36, GB12, BL13, BL20, and BL23. Single-use, sterile 25 mm × 0.25 mm needles will be inserted at each point for 20 minutes per session.
Standard COPD Pharmacological Therapy (LAMA + LABA or LAMA + LABA + ICS): Patients in this group receive standard pharmacological treatment for COPD according to current clinical guidelines. Treatment includes either dual or triple inhaler therapy:
Dual Therapy (LABA + LAMA): Patients receive a long-acting beta-agonist (LABA) such as Formoterol, Salmeterol, Olodaterol, Vilanterol, or Indacaterol, in combination with a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) such as Tiotropium bromide, Umeclidinium, or Glycopyrronium.
Triple Therapy (LABA + LAMA + ICS): Patients receive the above combination of LABA and LAMA plus an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) such as Budesonide, Fluticasone, or Beclometasone.
These medications may be administered either as fixed-dose combination inhalers or as separate inhalers, depending on patient needs and physician discretion. The treatment regimen is individualized based on clinical condition, prior therapy, and symptom severity.
Study summary
This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture as an adjunctive non-pharmacological therapy in patients with stable COPD who continue to experience dyspnea despite optimal medical treatment.
Eligibility
Sex
ALL
Min age
40 Years
Max age
80 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion Criteria:
* Volunteers aged between 40 and 80 years, who are communicative and cooperative,
* Diagnosed with COPD for at least 3 months,
* Receiving dual or triple regular pharmacological therapy for at least 3 months,
* Post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC \<70% and predicted FEV1 \<80% on spirometry, mMRC (Modified Medical Research Council) dyspnea score of 2 or higher,
* COPD Assessment Test (CAT) score of 10 or higher.
Exclusion Criteria:
* Patients who do not consent to participate in the study,
* Patients with communication difficulties or with visual, walking, or hearing impairments,
* Patients currently experiencing a COPD exacerbation or with a history of exacerbation within the past month,
* Patients with Stage 1 COPD (FEV1 ≥ 80%),
* COPD patients receiving monotherapy,
* Patients with mMRC score \<2 and CAT score \<10,
* Patients with unstable angina, acute myocardial infarction (within 3-5 days), uncontrolled arrhythmia, active endocarditis, acute myocarditis/pericarditis, symptomatic severe aortic stenosis, lower extremity DVT, uncontrolled asthma/COPD, pulmonary edema, oxygen saturation (SpO₂) ≤ 90%, acute respiratory failure, or suspected dissecting aneurysm,
* Patients receiving long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT),
* COPD patients who have experienced more than two exacerbations in the past year.
Withdrawal Criteria:
* Patients who are unable to complete acupuncture sessions or follow-up assessments in the control group for any reason,
* Patients who experience an exacerbation during the study (they will be reassessed one month after recovery and may be re-included if eligible),
* Patients who miss more than two acupuncture sessions.
Primary outcome measure(s)
Modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) Dyspnea Scale — From baseline to the end of treatment at 6 weeks Change in dyspnea severity measured by the Modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) Dyspnea Scale from baseline to 6 weeks.
Trial sites (1)
Facility
City
Region
Status
Istanbul Medeniyet University Faculty of Medicine
Istanbul
Turkey (Türkiye)
More Istanbul Medeniyet University trials in Turkey
This page summarises publicly available registry data for informational purposes — not medical advice. Eligibility is determined by each study team; patients should discuss participation with their clinician.
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