Effect and Safety of Acupuncture for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of 21 Randomised Controlled Trials

2021 Aug 25   Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine   Li, Sq., Chen Jr., Liu, Ml., Wang Yp., et al.

The current evidence suggests that acupuncture, as a complementary therapy to antidiabetic drugs, has a small but statistically significant effect on decreasing fasting blood glucose and improving insulin resistance. The effects of acupuncture on haemoglobin A1c, two-hour blood glucose, and fasting insulin remain uncertain. Acupuncture is generally safe in patients with mild diabetes. More evidence for the long-term effects of acupuncture on T2DM is needed.