The Efficacy of Acupuncture on Anthropometric Measures and the Biochemical Markers for Metabolic Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study

Background. Many previous studies have shown the potential therapeutic effect of acupuncture for metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, most of these studies were limited by short durations of observation and a lack of sham acupuncture as control. We designed a randomized controlled trial, used sham acupuncture as the control, and evaluated the efficacy over 12 weeks of treatment and 12 weeks of follow-up. Methods/Design. The study was designed as a multicentre, parallel-group, randomized, double-blinded trial. 40 patients were randomly assigned to two groups: treatment group (treated with acupuncture) and control group (treated with sham acupuncture). Outcomes were measured at 4, 8, and 12 weeks and 3 months after treatment. Results. 33 participants (17 in acupuncture group and 16 in control group) completed the treatment and the follow-up. Decreases from baseline in mean waist circumference (WC) and weight at the end of treatment were 4.85 cm(95% CI [2.405, 5.595]) and 4.00 kg (95% CI [1.6208, 4.4498]) in acupuncture group and 1.62 cm and 1.64 kg in control group (p < 0.01). The changes in mean glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and blood pressure in acupuncture group were greater than the changes in control group (p < 0.05,p < 0.01). Conclusion. Acupuncture decreases WC, HC, HbA1c, TG, and TC values and blood pressure in MetS.