Acupuncture Improves Intestinal Absorption of Iron in Iron-deficient Obese Patients

Abstract

Background:Obesity has an adverse effect on iron status. Hepcidin-mediated inhibition of iron absorption in the duodenum is a potential mechanism. Iron-deficient obese patients have diminished response to oral iron therapy. This study was designed to assess whether acupuncture could promote the efficacy of oral iron supplementation for the treatment of obesity-related iron deficiency (ID).Methods:Sixty ID or ID anemia (IDA) patients with obesity were screened at Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine and were randomly allocated to receive either oral iron replacement allied with acupuncture weight loss treatment (acupuncture group, n = 30) or oral iron combined with sham-acupuncture treatment (control group, n = 30). Anthropometric parameters were measured and blood samples were tested pre- and post-treatment. Differences in the treatment outcomes of ID/IDA were compared between the two groups.Results:After 8 weeks of acupuncture treatment, there was a significant decrease in body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, and waist/hip circumference ratio of patients in the acupuncture group, while no significant changes were observed in the control group. Oral iron supplementation brought more obvious improvements of iron status indicators including absolute increases in serum iron (11.08 ± 2.19 μmol/L vs. 4.43 ± 0.47 μmol/L), transferrin saturation (11.26 ± 1.65% vs. 1.01 ± 0.23%), and hemoglobin (31.47 ± 1.19 g/L vs. 21.00 ± 2.69 g/L) in the acupuncture group than control group (all P < 0.05). Meanwhile, serum leptin (2.26 ± 0.45 ng/ml vs. 8.13 ± 0.55 ng/ml, P < 0.05) and hepcidin (3.52 ± 1.23 ng/ml vs. 6.77 ± 0.84 ng/ml, P < 0.05) concentrations declined significantly in the acupuncture group than those in the control group.Conclusion:Acupuncture-based weight loss can enhance the therapeutic effects of iron replacement therapy for obesity-related ID/IDA through improving intestinal iron absorption, probably by downregulating the systemic leptin-hepcidin levels.

Acupuncture and related techniques for obesity and cardiovascular risk factors: a systematic review and meta-regression analysis

“…Fourteen RCTs 14,24–35 were considered to be at low risk of bias. Six RCTs 9,36–40 with potential flaws in blinding and/or allocation concealment and seven 10,12,13,15,41–43 with potential attrition bias were considered to be at moderate risk of bias.…”

“…Twenty-one RCTs 9–15,24–26,28,29,33,34,37–41,43,44 (n=1644) reported data on body weight. Patients after acupuncture lost more weight than those after non-acupuncture treatments (WMD −1.76 kg, 95% CI −2.22 to −1.30, P<0.00001; I 2 =77%; Supplemental Figure 1).…”

“…Thirty-one RCTs (n=2203) 9–11,13–15,24–48 reported data on changes in BMI. The pooled data showed a significantly greater BMI reduction in the acupuncture group than the non-acupuncture group (WMD −1.13 kg/m 2 , 95% CI −1.38 to −0.88, P<0.00001; Supplemental Figure 2).…”

“…The mean changes in WC were reported in 16 RCTs 11,13,15,24,25,27,29,33,34,37,39,41,43–45,48 (n=1188). The decrease in WC after acupuncture was greater (WMD −2.42 cm, 95% CI −3.32 to −1.62, P<0.00001; Supplemental Figure 3) than after non-acupuncture treatment.…”

Effect of intermittent fasting during acrylamide exposure on blood copper, zinc and lead levels in rats

“…There are studies presenting alterations in intestinal absorption due to different mechanisms. 8 weeks of acupuncture treatment was shown to increase iron absorption compared to control group (27). In another study, 3 weeks of bed rest increased Zn and Cu excretion (28).…”