Objective To observe the clinical effect of acupuncture therapy combined with Lipitor in the treatment of primary hyperlipidemia(spleen deficiency and food stagnation type).Methods Sixty primary hyperlipidemia patients(spleen deficiency and food stagnation type)were equally randomized into medication group and acupuncture plus medication group.Patients of both groups were treated by oral administration of Lipitor(20mg/tablet

one tablet per day)for 6weeks.Manual acupuncture stimulation was applied to Baihui(GV 20)

Zhongwan(CV 12)

and bilateral Zusanli(ST 36)

Sanyinjiao(SP 6)

Yinlingquan(SP 9)and Fenglong(ST 40)for 40 min

twice daily for 6weeks except the weekends.Serum total cholesterol(TC)

triglyceride(TG)

high density lipoprotein-cholesterol(HDL-C)

low density lipoprotein-cholesterol(LDL-C)were detected by using a full-automatic biochemistry analyzer before and after the treatment.The therapeutic effect was assessed according to the standards described in"Guide Principles for Clinical Researches of New Chinese Herbal Drugs".Results After the treatment

the levels of serum TC

TG of the two groups were significantly decreased in comparison with pre-treatment in the same one group(P<0.05)

and the therapeutic effect of the acupuncture+medication group was significantly superior to that of simple medication group in lowering serum TC

TG and LDL-C levels and heightening HDL-C levels(P<0.05).Of the two 30 cases in the medication and acupuncture+medication groups

2(6.7%)and 7(23.3%)were basically controlled in their blood-lipid levels

10(33.3%)and 15(50.0%)had a marked improvement

10(33.3%)and 6(20.0%)were improved

and 8(26.7%)and 2(6.7%)were invalid

with the effective rates being 73.3% and 93.3%

respectively.Conclusion Acupuncture combined with administration of Lipitor is effective in improving primary hyperlipidemia in patients

which is superior to administration of simple Lipitor.