A new study has shown that acupuncture may help patients with high blood pressure lower their risk of stroke and heart disease. The study was done at the University of California Irvine and published in the Medical Acupuncture journal. Researchers found that electroacupuncture, a type of acupuncture, reduced blood pressure for up to 6 weeks for patients with hypertension. The study found that 70 percent of the patients who received the acupuncture treatment reported a significant decrease in blood pressure. High blood pressure is extremely common amongst Americans, almost 30 percent of American adults have high blood pressure. The study also found the treatment helped regulate blood sugar and the hormone that regulates electrolytes. Senior author and cardiologist John Longhurst concluded that the acupuncture treatment can help lower the risk of stroke, heart failure and peripheral artery disease.