Acupuncture for metabolic syndrome: systematic review and meta-analysis
Li X, Jia HX, Yin DQ, Zhang ZJ · Acupuncture in Medicine · 2020 October 09
DOI 10.1177/0964528420960485
Objective
This systematic review with meta-analysis aimed to determine the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture therapy in the treatment of MetS.
Conclusions
Acupuncture is beneficial in the treatment of MetS and could serve as an alternative therapy for MetS-associated conditions. Larger-scale RCTs are needed to confirm the efficacy/effectiveness of our recommended evidence-based acupuncture regimen in MetS.
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Insights
Acupuncture is beneficial in the treatment of metabolic syndrome and could serve as an alternative therapy for metabolic syndrome-associated conditions.
A total of 13 RCTs were identified with 423 subjects undergoing acupuncture regimens and 411 receiving control interventions. Active acupuncture yielded better outcomes than sham acupuncture with respect to improving multiple metabolic syndrome indices. Acupuncture monotherapy had similar effectiveness in controlling triglyceride levels and high-density lipoprotein levels compared to CMs. The overall effects of adjunctive acupuncture were markedly greater than those of controls (CMs + LI, CMs, and LI) with respect to waist circumference with a mean difference of −5.11 cm and body mass index with a mean difference of −2.54, and improvements were observed in most hyperlipidemia indices and fasting blood glucose. An evidence-based acupuncture regimen was identified as a future treatment strategy for metabolic syndrome.
