Acute Effect of Acupuncture on Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes Measured by Continuous Glucose Monitoring: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Introduction:

Acupuncture is a widely used technique for the treatment of diabetes in Asian countries. Nevertheless, there are few studies with appropriate methodological rigor evaluating its effectiveness and promoting a standardized procedure in the Western World.

Objectives:

Evaluate the short-term effect of acupuncture in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) using continuous glucose monitoring (CGM).

Methods:

In a randomized controlled prospective open-label study, we assigned 20 insulin-independent DM2 patients to undergo acupuncture (group 1) or control group (group 2). Participants underwent CGM for 14 days. In group 1, all patients were submitted to acupuncture 4, 8, and 12 days after installation of the monitoring system. Diabetes-specific treatment points were used in all patients (bladder 38, large intestine 4, kidney 24, stomach 36, and spleen 9). This study was approved by the ethics committee (CAAE—60576616.6.0000.5572).

Results:

There were no statistically significant differences in the baseline characteristics. In group 1, mean glucose level obtained through 14 days monitoring after acupuncture treatment was 143 ± 28.8 mg/dL, whereas in group 2, who did not receive acupuncture, the mean level was 165.8 ± 30.2 mg/dL (P = 0.015).

Conclusion:

In this randomized pilot study, there was an improvement in global glycemic control during the 14-day monitoring in the acupuncture group. Further studies with larger cohorts over a more extended period of time are needed.

Clinical Trials: RBR-3m45y3.