The Effect of Acupuncture on Sarcopenia and Obesity in Patients With Sarcopenic Obesity

Sarcopenic obesity was first defined by Baumgartner as the co‐occurrence of sarcopeniaand obesity, measured using DEXA (dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry). It is characterizedby the simultaneous occurrence of high adiposity and sarcopenia; the term was initiallycoined to describe low skeletal muscle mass, strength, and physical function, initiallydiagnosed in the elderly but present across the entire age spectrum. Combining theeffects of both sarcopenia and obesity, sarcopenic obesity has been associated with alower quality of life and greater disability, morbidity, and mortality compared toobesity or sarcopenia alone. The lack of accurate prevalence rates for sarcopenic obesitystems from the absence of a consistent definition for sarcopenia or obesity. In apopulation‐based cohort using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)data applying FNIH criteria, sarcopenic obesity rates were found to be 12.6% in men and33.5% in women, and these rates increased with age, reaching 27.5% in men and 48% inwomen over 80 years of age. The pathogenesis of sarcopenic obesity is multifactorial; theinteraction between aging, sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy dietary habits, and insulinresistance, systemic inflammation, and oxidative stress leads to a quantitative andqualitative decrease in muscle mass and function, and a parallel increase in fat mass.Common etiological factors affect both muscle and fat mass. Current definitions ofsarcopenic obesity are based on individual definitions of sarcopenia and obesity, butthere is currently no consensus defining cut‐off values for either of these conditions,making it difficult to reach an accurate diagnosis of sarcopenic obesity. In sarcopenicobesity, anthropometric measurements (weight, BMI, waist circumference) are normal orhigh, and imaging (DEXA, BIA, CT, MRI) shows high fat mass and low muscle mass.Acupuncture is derived from the Latin words for needle (acus) and piercing (punctura). InWestern languages, it is written as acupuncture. In traditional Chinese medicine, it isbelieved that diseases are caused by disruptions in the flow of life energy (Qi)circulating in channels called meridians in the body. Acupuncture aims to correct thedisrupted energy flow by inserting needles into specific points on the meridians in thebody. The key to achieving the desired result in acupuncture is knowing where tostimulate the skin and inserting the needles appropriately. As one of the oldest medicaltreatments and an important part of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture has beenwidely used in the treatment of various diseases for at least 3000 years. Meanwhile, itis also one of the most popular complementary and alternative approaches, supported bythe World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Numerousstudies have reported that acupuncture is widely used in the treatment of obesity.Current evidence‐based reviews have shown that acupuncture is effective in treatingobesity. It has been suggested that acupuncture is an effective treatment for simpleobesity rather than a placebo effect. In our study, the investigators aimed to reveal theeffect of acupuncture on sarcopenia and obesity in patients with sarcopenic obesity.