Patient- and Therapist-Related Risk Factors for Adverse Events in Acupuncture and Moxibustion in Japan: Multicenter Survey of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Teaching Clinics.

Background/Objective: To investigate the patient- and therapist-related factors underlying adverse events (AEs) in acupuncture and moxibustion (A&M). Design: Retrospective study using data from medical records. Subjects: Patients who underwent A&M therapy in 4 clinics providing A&M over a 6-month period and their therapists. Main Outcome Measures: Survey items included the number of patients, age, sex, number of sessions, number and type of AEs, patients' underlying disease, and the therapist's years of clinical experience. The chi-squared test was used for intergroup comparisons. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used to analyze the correlations between the number of sessions and AEs. Logistic regression analysis was performed with AEs as the objective variable to investigate the relationships between the various parameters and AEs. Results: The analysis included 615 patients and 113 therapists. A total of 421 AEs occurred in a total of 4,369 sessions (9.6%). The number of sessions and number of AEs were significantly and positively correlated with patients (r = 0.47, P < 0.001) and therapists (r = 0.65, P < 0.001). Logistic analysis identified patient sex (adjusted odds ratio: 1.78, 95% confidence interval: [1.39-2.30]), liver disease (0.40, [0.19-0.84]), and years of clinical experience (to a cutoff of 2 or fewer years, 2-4 years: 0.65, [0.48-0.88], 5-9 years: 0.62, [0.44-0.87], 10 years or more: 0.50, [0.37-0.68]) as significant variables. Conclusions: Female sex and fewer years of clinical experience were factors that increased the risk of AEs, and underlying liver disease was a factor that decreased the risk of AEs.

NADH Dehydrogenase Subunit-2 237 Leu/Met Polymorphism Influences the Association of Coffee Consumption with Serum Chloride Levels in Male Japanese Health Checkup Examinees: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) dehydrogenase subunit-2 237 leucine/methionine (ND2-237 Leu/Met) polymorphism has been shown to modify the association of coffee consumption with the risk of hypertension, dyslipidemia, and abnormal glucose tolerance, and low serum chloride levels have been shown to be associated with all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate whether ND2-237 Leu/Met polymorphism influences the association of coffee consumption with serum chloride levels in male Japanese health checkup examinees. METHODS: From among individuals visiting the hospital for a regular medical checkup, 402 men (mean age ± standard deviation, 53.9 ± 7.8 years) were selected for inclusion in the study. After ND2-237 Leu/Met genotyping, we conducted an exploratory cross-sectional study to examine the combined association of ND2-237 Leu/Met polymorphism and coffee consumption with serum electrolyte levels. RESULTS: After adjusting for age, body mass index, habitual smoking, alcohol consumption, green tea consumption, and antihypertensive medication, coffee consumption significantly increased serum chloride levels (p for trend = 0.001) in men with the ND2-237Leu genotype. After these adjustments, the odds ratios (ORs) for low levels of serum chloride, defined as <100 mEq/L, were found to be dependent on coffee consumption (p for trend = 0.001). In addition, the OR for low levels of serum chloride was significantly lower in men with the ND2-237Leu genotype who consumed ≥4 compared with <1 cup of coffee per day (OR = 0.096, 95% confidence interval = 0.010⁻0.934; p = 0.044). However, neither serum chloride levels nor risk of low levels of serum chloride appeared to be dependent on coffee consumption. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that ND2-237 Leu/Met polymorphism modifies the association of coffee consumption with serum chloride levels in middle-aged Japanese men.