Analysis of Factors Influencing the Efficiency of Acupuncture in Tinnitus Patients

Table 1

Characteristics of patients who received acupuncture treatments for tinnitus (n = 107).

Characteristics	Case No. (%)
Sex (Female)	59 (55.14%)
Age (more than 65)	37 (34.58%)
BMI >25	34 (32.08%)
Affected side (Bilateral)	58 (54.21%)
Duration of tinnitus (longer than 3 months)	83 (77.57%)
History of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (Yes)	5 (4.67%)
History of radiotherapy (Yes)	8 (7.48%)
Eardrum perforation (Yes)	2 (1.87%)
Chronic otitis media (Yes)	4 (3.74%)
Cigarette smoking (Yes)	18 (16.82%)
Alcohol drinking (Yes)	11 (10.28%)
Betel nut chewing (Yes)	5 (4.67%)
Anemia† (Yes)	19 (18.81%)
Thyroid dysfunction‡ (Yes)	5 (5.49%)
Hypertriglyceridemia§ (Yes)	18 (18.0%)
Hypercholesterolemia∥ (Yes)	47 (47.0%)
Syphilis (Yes)	1 (1.03%)
Diabetes mellitus# (Yes)	19 (18.1%)
Insomnia (Yes)	53 (49.53%)
Cerebrovascular accident (Yes)	8 (7.55%)
Acupuncture treatment
PA group	38 (35.51%)
PADA group	69 (64.49%)
Acupuncture sessions
4 to 16	63 (58.88%)
≥ 17	44 (41.12%)
The response of treatment
Poor	51 (47.66%)
Good	56 (52.34%)
Audiometry††	left side / right side
500 Hz, dBnHL	16.20 ± 13.04 / 16.54 ± 15.78
1000 Hz, dBnHL	20.43 ± 16.27 / 19.86 ± 19.02
2000 Hz, dBnHL	24.38 ± 19.35 / 23.75 ± 20.08
4000 Hz, dBnHL	37.93 ± 23.37 / 36.83 ± 24.36
8000 Hz, dBnHL	48.98 ± 26.45 / 47.53 ± 28.26
PB score, %	96.42 ± 8.790 / 93.96 ± 18.76

BMI: body mass index; PA: periauricular acupoints; PADA: periauricular acupoints + distal acupoints; dBnHL: decibel above normal hearing level; PB: phonetically balanced.
One piece of missing data of BMI (n = 106).
†Six pieces of missing data in the group of anemia (n = 101).
‡Sixteen pieces of missing data in the group of thyroid dysfunction (n = 91).
§Seven pieces of missing data in the group of hypertriglyceridemia (n = 100).
∥Seven pieces of missing data in the group of hypercholesterolemia (n = 100).
Ten pieces of missing data in the group of syphilis (n = 97).
#Two pieces of missing data in the group of diabetes (n = 105).
One piece of missing data in the group of cerebrovascular accident (n = 106).
††Three pieces of missing data of audiometry (n = 104).