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Yu WL, Liao YN, Yang TH, Yang CW, Kao TI, Lee PW, Hsu CY, Huang JL, Huang YT, Chen HY. Laser Acupuncture versus Liraglutide in Treatment of Obesity: A Multi-Institutional Retrospective Cohort Study. Healthcare (Basel) 2024; 12:1279. [PMID: 38998814 PMCID: PMC11241425 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12131279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2024] [Revised: 06/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Obesity is a global concern, driving the search for alternative treatments beyond lifestyle changes and medications. Laser acupuncture (LA) shows promise in obesity management, yet few studies compare it with FDA-approved medications. This study aimed to assess and compare LA's impact with liraglutide on weight reduction in obese individuals. METHODS Data from the Chang Gung Research Database (CGRD) (2013-2018) were analyzed. Primary outcomes included changes in body weight and BMI within 180 days, with secondary outcomes measuring the proportion achieving 5%, 10%, and 15% weight loss. Adverse events were also assessed. RESULTS Of 745 subjects (173 LA users, 572 liraglutide users), LA users lost more weight by day 180 (5.82 ± 4.39 vs. 2.38 ± 5.75 kg; p < 0.001) and had a greater BMI reduction (-2.27 ± 1.73 vs. -0.93 ± 2.25 kg/m2; p < 0.001). More LA users achieved 5% and 10% weight loss compared to liraglutide users (64.2% vs. 22.7%, 26.6% vs. 4.2%; all p < 0.001). After balancing baseline differences, LA's benefits remained significant. No adverse events were reported with LA. CONCLUSIONS LA may offer superior weight reduction compared to liraglutide. Future studies should explore LA alone or in combination with liraglutide for obesity management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Lin Yu
- Division of Chinese Internal Medicine, Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan; (W.-L.Y.); (Y.-N.L.); (T.-H.Y.); (C.-W.Y.)
| | - Yu-Ning Liao
- Division of Chinese Internal Medicine, Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan; (W.-L.Y.); (Y.-N.L.); (T.-H.Y.); (C.-W.Y.)
| | - Tsung-Hsien Yang
- Division of Chinese Internal Medicine, Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan; (W.-L.Y.); (Y.-N.L.); (T.-H.Y.); (C.-W.Y.)
| | - Ching-Wei Yang
- Division of Chinese Internal Medicine, Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan; (W.-L.Y.); (Y.-N.L.); (T.-H.Y.); (C.-W.Y.)
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan
| | - Ting-I Kao
- Division of Chinese Internal Medicine, Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan; (W.-L.Y.); (Y.-N.L.); (T.-H.Y.); (C.-W.Y.)
| | - Pai-Wei Lee
- Center for Big Data Analytics and Statistics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Medical Center, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan; (P.-W.L.); (C.-Y.H.); (J.-L.H.)
| | - Chiu-Yi Hsu
- Center for Big Data Analytics and Statistics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Medical Center, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan; (P.-W.L.); (C.-Y.H.); (J.-L.H.)
| | - Jhen-Ling Huang
- Center for Big Data Analytics and Statistics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Medical Center, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan; (P.-W.L.); (C.-Y.H.); (J.-L.H.)
| | - Yu-Tung Huang
- Center for Big Data Analytics and Statistics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Medical Center, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan; (P.-W.L.); (C.-Y.H.); (J.-L.H.)
| | - Hsing-Yu Chen
- Division of Chinese Internal Medicine, Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan; (W.-L.Y.); (Y.-N.L.); (T.-H.Y.); (C.-W.Y.)
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan
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Razzaghi M, Akbari Z, Mokmeli S, Razzaghi Z, Rezaei-Tavirani M, Afzalimehr M, Kamani E. Laser Diode - GaAlAs Acupuncture in the Treatment of Central Obesity: a Randomized Clinical Trial. J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2023; 16:255-262. [PMID: 38115591 DOI: 10.51507/j.jams.2023.16.6.255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Background : Obesity is a global health challenge. Traditional approaches, including increased physical activity, dietary interventions, and medical therapy, often yield limited success, propelling some patients toward costly and invasive procedures like bariatric surgery. Laser acupuncture has been suggested as a complementary therapeutic approach to overcome this challenge. The present study investigated the effectiveness of laser acupuncture treatment in weight loss and abdominal subcutaneous fat reduction. Methods : A randomized, blinded, sham-controlled clinical trial was conducted, with 30 subjects each in the intervention and control groups. Patients in the intervention group underwent 12 sessions of laser acupuncture treatment within a month (three sessions/week), whereas those in the control group received sham laser treatment on identical acupoints. The patients were instructed not to alter their physical activity levels or dietary regimens. All parameters were evaluated before and after the treatment. Results : Significant reductions in weight, body mass index, and waist circumference were noted in both intervention and control groups. Further analysis revealed a more significant decrease in the laser acupuncture group. Abdominal sonography revealed a marked decrease in periumbilical fat thickness in the intervention group. Conversely, laboratory evaluations showed no significant difference between the two groups. Conclusion : Laser acupuncture is an effective method for weight loss in patients with periumbilical abdominal fat. The observed impact on subcutaneous fat suggests its potential as a non-invasive intervention for individuals seeking weight management alternatives. Further research is warranted to validate these findings and explore the underlying mechanisms of laser acupuncture in adipose tissue modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammadreza Razzaghi
- Laser Application in Medical Sciences Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Akbari
- Laser Application in Medical Sciences Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Zahra Razzaghi
- Laser Application in Medical Sciences Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mostafa Rezaei-Tavirani
- Proteomics Research Center, Faculty of Paramedical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Afzalimehr
- Laser Application in Medical Sciences Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ehsan Kamani
- Laser Application in Medical Sciences Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Ren Y, Xu M, von Deneen KM, He Y, Li G, Zheng Y, Zhang W, Li X, Han Y, Cui G, Ji G, Nie Y, Zhang Y. Acute and long-term effects of electroacupuncture alter frontal and insular cortex activity and functional connectivity during resting state. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2020; 298:111047. [PMID: 32114310 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2020.111047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Electroacupuncture (EA) is a safe method for treating obesity; however, its underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear. We employed resting-state-functional-magnetic-resonance-imaging (RS-fMRI) and amplitude-of-low-frequency-fluctuation (ALFF) to investigate acute/long-term effects of EA on brain activity and resting-state-functional-connectivity (RSFC) in overweight/obesity subjects who received real/Sham stimulation. For acute effects, 26 and 19 overweight/obesity subjects were included in EA and Sham groups respectively. There were significant time effects on ALFF in the right insula (INS) and left dorsolateral-prefrontal-cortex (DLPFC) due to decreases/increases in INS/DLPFC in both groups. There were weaker positive RSFC between INS and supplementary-motor-area (SMA)/right DLPFC and weaker negative RSFC between INS and precuneus (PCUN); stronger negative RSFC between DLPFC and dorsomedial-prefrontal-cortex (DMPFC) in both groups. For long-term study, body-mass-index (BMI) had significant reduction in EA (n = 17) and Sham (15) groups; EA had higher BMI reduction than in Sham. There were significant time effects on ALFF in right ventrolateral-prefrontal-cortex (VLPFC) due to significant increases in EA group, and stronger positive RSFC between VLPFC and orbitofrontal-cortex and negative RSFC between VLPFC and left thalamus (THA) in both groups after long-term treatment. These findings suggest that changes in resting-activity and RSFC implicated in inhibitory-control, gastric-motility and satiety-control are associated with EA-induced weight-loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Ren
- Department of Acupuncture and Massage, Xi'an Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710021, China.
| | - Mingzhu Xu
- Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710071, China
| | - Karen M von Deneen
- Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710071, China.
| | - Yang He
- Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710071, China
| | - Guanya Li
- Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710071, China
| | - Yang Zheng
- Department of Acupuncture and Massage, Xi'an Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710021, China
| | - Wenjing Zhang
- Department of Acupuncture and Massage, Xi'an Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710021, China
| | - Xiaoping Li
- Department of Acupuncture and Massage, Xi'an Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710021, China
| | - Yu Han
- Department of Radiology, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710038, China
| | - Guangbin Cui
- Department of Radiology, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710038, China
| | - Gang Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases and Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
| | - Yongzhan Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases and Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710071, China.
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Namazi N, Khodamoradi K, Larijani B, Ayati MH. Is laser acupuncture an effective complementary therapy for obesity management? A systematic review of clinical trials. Acupunct Med 2017; 35:452-459. [PMID: 29074473 DOI: 10.1136/acupmed-2017-011401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Complementary therapies may increase the success rate of weight loss via a calorie-restricted diet. Acupuncture is a popular complementary therapy for obesity management. To our knowledge, no studies have summarised the effects of laser acupuncture (LA) on obesity. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy of LA, in particular with respect to its impact on anthropometric features and appetite in obese adults, by conducting a systematic review of previous clinical trials. METHODS We searched PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, Embase and Google Scholar electronic databases for papers published through October 2016. All clinical trials in English containing either anthropometric indices or appetite parameters were included. Two reviewers independently examined studies based on a predefined form for data extraction and the Jadad scale for quality assessment in order to minimise bias throughout the evaluation. RESULTS After screening the papers, seven clinical trials met the criteria and were included in the systematic review. Positive effects of LA therapy were seen in body weight (n=3), body mass index (n=5), waist circumference (n=4), hip circumference (n=3), waist to hip ratio (n=4) and % fat mass (n=3). Appetite parameters were reported in one study, which showed that LA can reduce appetite and increase the sensation of feeling full. CONCLUSION Although some studies have indicated beneficial effects for LA on obesity, the lack of evidence with high methodological quality made it impossible to reach a definitive conclusion about the efficacy of LA for obesity management. Further high-quality, randomised, sham-controlled clinical trials with a larger sample size are needed to shed light on the efficacy of LA for obesity management and weight maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazli Namazi
- Obesity and Eating Habits Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kajal Khodamoradi
- Department of Nursing, Tehran Medical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Bagher Larijani
- Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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von Deneen KM, Qin W, Liu P, Dong M, Chen P, Xie H, Zhang Y, Gold MS, Liu Y, Tian J. Connectivity Study of the Neuromechanism of Acute Acupuncture Needling during fMRI in "Overweight" Subjects. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE : ECAM 2015; 2015:384389. [PMID: 25821486 PMCID: PMC4363637 DOI: 10.1155/2015/384389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2014] [Revised: 12/29/2014] [Accepted: 12/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
This functional connectivity study depicts how acupoints ST 36 and SP 9 and their sham acupoints acutely act on blood glucose (GLU), core body temperature (CBT), hunger, and sensations pertaining to needling (De-qi) via the limbic system and dopamine (DA) to affect various brain areas in fasting, adult, and "overweight" Chinese males using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Functional connectivity (FC) analysis utilized the amygdala (AMY) and hypothalamus (HYP) as regions of interest (ROIs) in the discrete cosine transform and seed correlation analysis methods. There was a significant difference in the spatial patterns of the distinct brain regions between groups. Correlation results showed that increased HYP-hippocampus FC after ACU was positively correlated with ACU-induced change in CBT; increased HYP-putamen-insula FC after ACU was positively correlated with ACU-induced change in GLU; and increased HYP-anterior cingulate cortex FC after ACU was positively correlated with ACU-induced change in HUNGER suggesting that increased DA modulation during ACU was probably associated with increased poststimulation limbic system and spinothalamic tract connectivity. Decreased HYP-thalamus FC after ACU was negatively correlated or anticorrelated with ACU-induced change in HUNGER suggesting that increased DA modulation during ACU was possibly associated with decreased poststimulation limbic system and spinothalamic tract connectivity. No correlation was found for min SHAM. This was an important study in addressing acute acupuncture effects and neural pathways involving physiology and appetite regulation in overweight individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen M. von Deneen
- School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an 710071, China
- Department of Psychiatry & McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, 1149 S. Newell Dr. L4-100K, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Wei Qin
- School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an 710071, China
| | - Peng Liu
- School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an 710071, China
| | - Minghao Dong
- School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an 710071, China
| | - Peng Chen
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Huisheng Xie
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, P.O. Box 100126 2015 SW 16th Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Yi Zhang
- School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an 710071, China
| | - Mark S. Gold
- Department of Psychiatry & McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, 1149 S. Newell Dr. L4-100K, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Yijun Liu
- Department of Psychiatry & McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, 1149 S. Newell Dr. L4-100K, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Jie Tian
- School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an 710071, China
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