Table 1 Schedule for treatment and outcome measurements

Visit

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

Week

1

2

3

4

5

13

Informed consent

●

Inclusion/exclusion criteria

●

Random allocation

●

Auricular acupuncture treatment

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

BP before and after auricular acupuncture treatment

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

24-h ABPM

●

●

●

●

Laboratory examination

●

●

●

BMI

●

●

●

●

EQ-5D

●

●

●

Heart rate variability

●

●

●

Safety assessment

●

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

●

●