Effects of acupuncture on anthropometric and serum metabolic parameters in premenopausal overweight and obese women: a randomized, patient- and assessor-blind, sham-controlled clinical trial

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of acupuncture on obesity-related parameters with regard to metabolomics. Methods: This two-arm parallel, patient- and assessor-blind, sham-controlled randomized clinical trial included 120 obese participants. Participants were randomized into two groups. The treatment group received a combined intervention of manual acupuncture (MA) plus electroacupuncture (EA), while the control group received a combination of sham acupuncture interventions consisting of sham MA plus sham EA for 6 weeks. The serum lipid levels were measured as the primary outcome measure and anthropometric parameters and serum metabolic profiles including amino acids and carnitines were measured as secondary outcome measures. Results: The serum lipid levels and anthropometric measurements did not significantly differ between groups, while body weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference were improved within each group and the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol increased over time in the treatment group. There were no significant differences in amino acid levels between groups, while certain carnitine (C2, C4, C6, and l-carnitine) levels were significantly increased ( p < 0.05) in the treatment group compared to the control group. Conclusion: In summary, 6 weeks of acupuncture treatment did not affect anthropometric and serum metabolic parameters, with the exception of certain carnitines, when compared to sham acupuncture. The observation of increased carnitine levels in the acupuncture group could result in potential long-term benefits to obese individuals. Additional studies are needed to investigate the long-term effects of acupuncture on lipid metabolism and the underlying mechanism of action. Trial registration number: This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02066090).

Effects of Acupuncture on Cholesterol, Antioxidant and Oxidant Parameters in Obese Women: Clinical Trials

“…23 A similar study was conducted by Kim et al and demonstrated that manual acupuncture plus electroacupuncture treatment led to weight loss in obese participants and the HDL cholesterol levels significantly increased. 24 Our new findings in this study were in agreement with previous studies in terms of the reduction effect of acupuncture treatment on TC and LDL cholesterol levels.…”

Study of Latest Trend on Acupuncture for Obesity Treatment

“…When manual acupuncture + electroacupuncture is applied to the acupoint, certain carnitine (L2, L4, L6 and L-Carnitine) levels significantly increased, compared to the sham acupuncture group [ 14 , 15 ].…”

Effects of electroacupuncture on obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…The 13 selected studies [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36] were analyzed based on the authors' names, publication year, study design, number of participants in each group, details of the experimental and control groups, duration and frequency of treatment, outcome measures, and adverse effects (Table 2). The selected studies were published between 2005 and 2021, with 8 studies written in English and 5 in Chinese.…”