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

Xie XC, Cao YQ, Gao Q, Wang C, Li M, Wei SG · Chinese Medical Journal · 2017 March 05

DOI 10.4103/0366-6999.200549

Objective

To investigate whether acupuncture can enhance the efficacy of oral iron supplementation in treating obesity-related iron deficiency (ID) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA).

Conclusions

Acupuncture-based weight loss significantly enhances the therapeutic effects of oral iron supplementation for obesity-related iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia by improving intestinal iron absorption and reducing systemic leptin and hepcidin levels.

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Insights

Acupuncture used for weight loss may increase the effectiveness of oral iron supplementation to treat obesity-related iron deficiency.

The study was conducted on sixty iron deficient or iron deficient anemia patients who were also obese, in the Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. They were divided into two groups: one group received an oral iron supplement combined with acupuncture treatment for weight loss (acupuncture group), and the other group received the oral iron supplement along with a placebo acupuncture treatment (control group). Over the course of eight weeks, anthropometric parameters were measured, and blood samples were tested before and after the treatment. The acupuncture group showed a significant decrease in body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, and waist/hip circumference ratio, while the control group showed no significant changes. The oral iron supplement seemed to bring more noticeable improvements in the iron status indicators in the acupuncture group than in the control group. In addition, the serum leptin and hepcidin concentrations, which impact iron absorption, declined significantly in the acupuncture group and were relatively stagnant in the control group. These results suggest that acupuncture-based weight loss treatment could boost intestinal iron absorption, likely through downregulation of systemic leptin-hepcidin levels.