A nationwide retrospective cohort study of the association between acupuncture exposure and clinical outcomes of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease using health insurance claim data in South Korea

Background: Idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (IPD) has been associated with increased global mortality. While acupuncture has been reported to slow IPD progression, its effect on mortality remains unclear. This study investigated the association between acupuncture exposure and mortality, causes of de...

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Main Authors: Ye-Chae Hwang, Jungkuk Lee, Dongwoo Kang, Han-Gyul Lee, Seungwon Kwon, Seung-Yeon Cho, Seong-Uk Park, Woo-Sang Jung, Sang-Kwan Moon, Jung-Mi Park, Jungtae Leem, Chang-Nam Ko
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Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Integrative Medicine Research
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213422025000265
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author Ye-Chae Hwang
Jungkuk Lee
Dongwoo Kang
Han-Gyul Lee
Seungwon Kwon
Seung-Yeon Cho
Seong-Uk Park
Woo-Sang Jung
Sang-Kwan Moon
Jung-Mi Park
Jungtae Leem
Chang-Nam Ko
author_facet Ye-Chae Hwang
Jungkuk Lee
Dongwoo Kang
Han-Gyul Lee
Seungwon Kwon
Seung-Yeon Cho
Seong-Uk Park
Woo-Sang Jung
Sang-Kwan Moon
Jung-Mi Park
Jungtae Leem
Chang-Nam Ko
author_sort Ye-Chae Hwang
collection DOAJ
description Background: Idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (IPD) has been associated with increased global mortality. While acupuncture has been reported to slow IPD progression, its effect on mortality remains unclear. This study investigated the association between acupuncture exposure and mortality, causes of death, and prognosis in patients with IPD. Methods: Using customized cohort data from the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS), we analyzed patients newly diagnosed with IPD without disabilities between 2012 and 2016. Patients were classified into an acupuncture group (≥six sessions within 1 year of diagnosis) and a non-acupuncture group. Propensity score matching (PSM) was applied, and Cox proportional hazards models were used for survival analysis. During a 6-year follow-up, hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated for overall and cause-specific mortality, emergency room visits, fractures, and the first deep brain stimulation (DBS) procedure, using the non-acupuncture group as the reference. Results: After PSM, 6394 patients were included in each group. The HR for mortality in the acupuncture group was 0.887 (95 % CI: 0.813−0.967), indicating a significantly lower mortality risk. Deaths due to neoplasms and digestive diseases were also lower in the acupuncture group. No significant differences were observed between groups in fracture risk, emergency room visits, or DBS procedures. Conclusions: Acupuncture exposure was associated with a reduced mortality rate in patients with IPD. These findings suggest potential benefits of integrating acupuncture into IPD management, though further long-term randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these results.
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spelling doaj-art-896e12cc299f4790bc3adf9c49a406612025-08-20T01:50:22ZengElsevierIntegrative Medicine Research2213-42202025-06-0114210114610.1016/j.imr.2025.101146A nationwide retrospective cohort study of the association between acupuncture exposure and clinical outcomes of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease using health insurance claim data in South KoreaYe-Chae Hwang0Jungkuk Lee1Dongwoo Kang2Han-Gyul Lee3Seungwon Kwon4Seung-Yeon Cho5Seong-Uk Park6Woo-Sang Jung7Sang-Kwan Moon8Jung-Mi Park9Jungtae Leem10Chang-Nam Ko11Department of Cardiology and Neurology of Clinical Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, KoreaData Science Team, Hanmi Pharm. Co., Ltd, Seoul, KoreaData Science Team, Hanmi Pharm. Co., Ltd, Seoul, KoreaDepartment of Cardiology and Neurology, Kyung Hee University College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul, KoreaDepartment of Cardiology and Neurology, Kyung Hee University College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul, KoreaStroke and Neurological Disorders Center, Kyung Hee University College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Seoul, KoreaStroke and Neurological Disorders Center, Kyung Hee University College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Seoul, KoreaDepartment of Cardiology and Neurology, Kyung Hee University College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul, KoreaDepartment of Cardiology and Neurology, Kyung Hee University College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul, KoreaStroke and Neurological Disorders Center, Kyung Hee University College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Seoul, KoreaDepartment of Il-won Integrated Medicine, Wonkwang University Korean Medicine Hospital, Iksan, Korea; Research Center of Traditional Korean Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Korea; Corresponding authors at: Department of Diagnostics, College of Korean Medicine, Wonkwang University, 460, Iksan-daero, Sin-dong, Iksan, Jeollabuk-do, 54538, Republic of Korea (J. Leem); Stroke and Neurological Disorders Center, Kyung Hee University Hospital, at Gangdong 892 Dongnam-ro, Gangdong-gu, Seoul 05278, Republic of Korea (C.-N. Ko).Stroke and Neurological Disorders Center, Kyung Hee University College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Seoul, Korea; Corresponding authors at: Department of Diagnostics, College of Korean Medicine, Wonkwang University, 460, Iksan-daero, Sin-dong, Iksan, Jeollabuk-do, 54538, Republic of Korea (J. Leem); Stroke and Neurological Disorders Center, Kyung Hee University Hospital, at Gangdong 892 Dongnam-ro, Gangdong-gu, Seoul 05278, Republic of Korea (C.-N. Ko).Background: Idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (IPD) has been associated with increased global mortality. While acupuncture has been reported to slow IPD progression, its effect on mortality remains unclear. This study investigated the association between acupuncture exposure and mortality, causes of death, and prognosis in patients with IPD. Methods: Using customized cohort data from the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS), we analyzed patients newly diagnosed with IPD without disabilities between 2012 and 2016. Patients were classified into an acupuncture group (≥six sessions within 1 year of diagnosis) and a non-acupuncture group. Propensity score matching (PSM) was applied, and Cox proportional hazards models were used for survival analysis. During a 6-year follow-up, hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated for overall and cause-specific mortality, emergency room visits, fractures, and the first deep brain stimulation (DBS) procedure, using the non-acupuncture group as the reference. Results: After PSM, 6394 patients were included in each group. The HR for mortality in the acupuncture group was 0.887 (95 % CI: 0.813−0.967), indicating a significantly lower mortality risk. Deaths due to neoplasms and digestive diseases were also lower in the acupuncture group. No significant differences were observed between groups in fracture risk, emergency room visits, or DBS procedures. Conclusions: Acupuncture exposure was associated with a reduced mortality rate in patients with IPD. These findings suggest potential benefits of integrating acupuncture into IPD management, though further long-term randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these results.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213422025000265AcupunctureCohort studyHealth insurance claim dataIdiopathic Parkinson’s diseaseMortality
spellingShingle Ye-Chae Hwang
Jungkuk Lee
Dongwoo Kang
Han-Gyul Lee
Seungwon Kwon
Seung-Yeon Cho
Seong-Uk Park
Woo-Sang Jung
Sang-Kwan Moon
Jung-Mi Park
Jungtae Leem
Chang-Nam Ko
A nationwide retrospective cohort study of the association between acupuncture exposure and clinical outcomes of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease using health insurance claim data in South Korea
Integrative Medicine Research
Acupuncture
Cohort study
Health insurance claim data
Idiopathic Parkinson’s disease
Mortality
title A nationwide retrospective cohort study of the association between acupuncture exposure and clinical outcomes of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease using health insurance claim data in South Korea
title_full A nationwide retrospective cohort study of the association between acupuncture exposure and clinical outcomes of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease using health insurance claim data in South Korea
title_fullStr A nationwide retrospective cohort study of the association between acupuncture exposure and clinical outcomes of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease using health insurance claim data in South Korea
title_full_unstemmed A nationwide retrospective cohort study of the association between acupuncture exposure and clinical outcomes of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease using health insurance claim data in South Korea
title_short A nationwide retrospective cohort study of the association between acupuncture exposure and clinical outcomes of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease using health insurance claim data in South Korea
title_sort nationwide retrospective cohort study of the association between acupuncture exposure and clinical outcomes of idiopathic parkinson s disease using health insurance claim data in south korea
topic Acupuncture
Cohort study
Health insurance claim data
Idiopathic Parkinson’s disease
Mortality
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213422025000265
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