Manuscript title: Acupuncture for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Abstract
Background: Acupuncture has been used to treat type 2 diabetes (T2DM) for 2,000 years
and there are emerging clinical evidence and animal studies for its efficacy. However, we
are unable to conclude the effectiveness and safety on this issue yet.
Objectives: To assess the effects and safety of acupuncture for T2DM.
Methods: We systematically searched 5 databases and 2 clinical registry platforms from
inception to 2018-6-4. RCTs for acupuncture or its variants compared with sham
acupuncture or no acupuncture controls for T2DM were included. The primary outcomes
were glycemic control and adverse events.
Results: A total of 21 studies, which comprised a total of 1,943 participants, were included
in the final meta-analysis. Compared with sham acupuncture or no acupuncture plus
baseline treatments, acupuncture plus baseline treatments yield reduction in FBG(MD
1.21mmol/l, 95%CI 1.56 to 0.87), 2h BG(MD 2.13mmol/l, 95%CI 2.79 to 1.46), HA1c (MD 1.12%, 95%CI 1.62 to 0.62). Our results also show acupuncture can improve blood lipids and blood pressure control, and reduce weight.
Conclusions: As one type of multifactorial intervention, acupuncture could be
recommended as a supplementary treatment in the management of T2DM, especially in
those with obesity or metabolic disorders.
Fig. 1. The appearance frequency of most mentioned acupoints in the articles of recent five years.
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