The Effect of the Blood Cupping Therapy on High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) and Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) in Hypercholesterol Patients

Abstract

Introduction: Hypercholesterol is a high cholesterol level in the blood. Blood cupping therapy is a technique
of excreting metabolic waste in the blood through the skin. The study aimed to measure any effect of blood
cupping therapy to HDL and LDL cholesterol. Method: It was a Quasi-Experimental study using humans
as research subjects. Non random consecutive sampling. Patiens with hypercholesterol after 12 hours of
fasting were treated with blood cupping, 9 points. Research subjects were 51 men divided into three groups,
the cupping group only consisted of 17 men, the drug group without cupping consisted of 17 men, and
the cupping and drug consisted 17 men. Collecting data from third of the groups as pre and post data.
The data were analyzed by Mann Whitney, Wilcoxon and Kruskal Wallis. The research took place at the
Laboratory of Biochemistry, Universitas Jember. Results: Measurement of HDL cholesterol on the cupping
group was pretest=33.03±3.73; posttest=37.58±6.54; p=0.000. The drug group was pretest=33.40±3.18;
posttest=33.56±3.50; p=0.788. The cupping and drug group was pretest=34.32±3.38; posttest=37.61±2.01;
p=0.002. Kruskal Wallis test on pretest group was 0.534 and on posttest group was 0.002. Measurement of
LDL cholesterol on the cupping group was pretest=154.70±39.68; posttest=123.89±41.86; p=0.000. The
drug group was pretest=151.24±44.17; posttest=151.24±44.17; p=0.019. The cupping and drug group was
pretest=147.48±62.66; posttest=105.57±57.94; p=0.001. Kruskal Wallis test on pretest group was 0.439
and on posttest group was 0.082. This means that there was no difference in the average pretest and posttest
LDL levels in the cupping, drug, cupping and drug groups. Conclusion: The intervention of blood cupping
therapy can increase HDL cholesterol level, and reduce LDL cholesterol level. Further research needs to be
done to measure the potential prevention of atherosclerosis.