Clinical Study Of Acupoint Catgut Embedding For The Treatment Of Simple Obesity

Objective:This research aims to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of acupoint catgut embedding therapy on patients with simple obesity through a randomized single blind clinical trial. Before and after treatment, the patients’ body weight, waist circumference, BMI, and F% were measured, the adverse events was also recorded. Statistical analysis was performed to analyze the results.Method:Sixty simple obesity patients were randomly evenly divided into acupoint catgut embedding group and acupoint catgut sham control group according to the random number table method. Both groups receive basic treatment (including diet control and exercise). The control used sham acupoint catgut embedding which means except for the wires being embedded in the body the other treatments were the same with acupoint catgut embedding group. Catgut embedding was performed once every two weeks for a total of 8 weeks. Body weight, waist circumference, BMI, and F% were measured before and after treatments. Statistical analysis was performed to measure the intra and inter group differences and the overall effect. Adverse events during the treatment were recorded for safety analysis.Results:(1) Compared with the baseline levels both acupoint catgut embedding group and control group showed significant differences in body weight, waist circumference, BMI,F%(P<0.05).(2) Before and after treatment, the differences of body weight, waist circumference, BMI, and F%in the acupoint catgut embedding group is significant different from the control group (P<0.05).(3) After the treatment, of the 30 cases in the acupoint catgut embedding group 21 cases were effective and 6 cases failed, with the effective rate being 79.3%. For the 30 cases in the control group,14 cases were effective and 13 cases failed, with the effective rate being 51.9%. Significant difference was found between two groups in the effective rate (P< 0.05).Conclusion:After 8 weeks of treatment, body weight, waist circumference, BMI, and F% in both acupoint catgut embedding group and acupoint catgut Sham control group were significantly reduced in simple obesity patients. The body weight, waist circumference, BMI, and F% levels of the patients in the treatment group decreased more than that of the control group and the effective rate of treatment group was higher than that of the control group. Both the acupoint catgut embedding group and the Sham control group receive acupuncture, while the only difference was that in the treatment group the line was left in the body. Thus, it can be inferred that the efficacy of the acupoint catgut embedding is the result of the sustained stimulation of the line in the acupoint. Therefore, acupoint catgut embedding might be a safe and effective therapeutic approach for the treatment of simple obesity.