Abdominal Obesity, Obesity
Conditions
Brief summary
Obesity is a metabolic disorder and has become a global health issue with a steadily increasing prevalence. According to the Health Promotion Administration's statistical report, the overweight and obesity rate among adults in Taiwan was 50.3% between 2017 and 2020. Based on the Ministry of Health and Welfare's criteria, a BMI ≥27 kg/m² is classified as obese. Studies have shown that acupuncture can effectively reduce body weight with low cost and minimal side effects. Acupoint catgut embedding is a treatment method that combines traditional meridian acupuncture with modern medical materials by implanting surgical sutures into acupoints to provide continuous stimulation. A 2022 systematic review found that catgut embedding is more effective than traditional acupuncture, requires fewer treatment sessions, and has a high safety profile. However, no studies have yet investigated whether different lengths of implanted surgical sutures affect treatment outcomes. This study is a single-center, double-blind, randomized controlled trial aimed at identifying the optimal suture length for acupoint catgut embedding, in order to enhance its efficiency and therapeutic effect.
Interventions
DEVICE1 inch
1 inch suture length
DEVICE0.5 inch
0.5 inch suture length
Sponsors
Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Caregiver)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
1. Willing to sign a written informed consent form 2. BMI ≥27 kg/m² (Ministry of Health and Welfare standard) 3. Waist circumference ≥90 cm for men 4. Waist circumference ≥80 cm for women 5. Age between 18 and 65 years
Exclusion criteria
1. Endocrine disorders (thyroid disease, pituitary disorders, and diabetes) 2. Autoimmune diseases (systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren's syndrome, and rheumatoid arthritis) 3. Heart diseases (heart failure, arrhythmia, etc.) 4. Abnormal liver function 5. Abnormal kidney function 6. Stroke within the past year 7. Pregnant or breastfeeding women 8. Coagulation disorders 9. Tumors 10. Participation in weight loss treatment within the past 6 months 11. Any other condition deemed unsuitable for the trial by the physician
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Waist circumference | 1 week,4 week,8 week |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| hip circumference | 1 week,4 week,8 week |
| weight | 1 week,4 week,8 week |
| BMI | 1 week,4 week,8 week |
| VAS | 1 week,4 week,8 week |
| Ultrasound Fat Thickness | 1 week,4 week,8 week |
Countries
Taiwan
Outcome results
None listed