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Completed

NCT Number: NCT02516878

Acupuncture for Body Weight Control

In this study, a 18-week, single-blinded, randomized controlled clinical trial will be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness, efficacy and safety of acupuncture on weight control in Hong Kong.

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Key information

Conditions

Obesity Body Weight Nutrition Disorders Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases Overnutrition Overweight Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Age range

18 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

About this study

This is a pilot single-blind, randomized, sham-controlled trial. 72 participants will be randomly assigned to acupuncture group or control group. The duration of the treatment will be 8 weeks with 2 sessions per week and the follow-up period will be 8 weeks.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • aged between 18 and 65 years old;
  • body mass index (BMI)≥25 kg/m2;
  • having not received any other weight control measures or any medical and/or drug history within the last 3 months.

Exclusion criteria

  • endocrine diseases;
  • heart diseases;
  • patients with pacemaker;
  • allergy and immunology diseases;
  • having bleeding tendency;
  • pregnant or lactating women;
  • having impaired hepatic or renal function;
  • stroke or otherwise unable to exercise.

Treatment and study plan

Acupuncture

Procedure

Eight body acupuncture points will be chosen as Tianshu(ST-25), Daheng(SP-15), Daimai(GB-26), Qihai(CV-6), Zhongwan(CV-12), Zusanli(ST-36), Fenlong(ST-40), Sanyinjiao(SP-6). The needles will be retained for 30 minutes.

Participants of the treatment group will additionally receive unilateral auricular acupressure at four auricular points as Hunger, Shen men, Spleen and Stomach with Semen Vaccariae embedded within adhesive tape in each treatment session. Acupressure will be applied by the subjects with repeat pressing of the tape with fingertips for 3 minutes per point, 3 times per day. The embedded tape will be retained in-situ until the next visit and then the alternate side of ear will be treated.

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in body weight during treatment and follow up

    Time frame: The change in body weight will be assessed every two weeks during 8-week treatment and 8-week follow up

    measured by Omron KARADA Scan Body Composition & Scale

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in Body Mass Index (BMI) during treatment and follow up

    Time frame: The change in BMI will be assessed every two weeks during 8-week treatment and 8-week follow up

    The change in Body Mass Index (BMI) will be measured by Omron KARADA Scan Body Composition & Scale

  2. Change in waist circumference during treatment and follow up

    Time frame: The change in waist circumference will be assessed every two weeks during 8-week treatment and 8-week follow up

  3. Change in hip circumference

    Time frame: The change in hip circumference will be assessed every two weeks during 8-week treatment and 8-week follow up

  4. Change in body fat percentage during treatment and follow up

    Time frame: The change in body fat percentage will be assessed every two weeks during 8-week treatment and 8-week follow up

    The change in body fat percentage will be measured by Omron KARADA Scan Body Composition & Scale

  5. Number of patients with adverse events after treatment

    Time frame: Number of patients with adverse events after treatment will be recorded and compared among the two groups during 8-week treatment and 8-week follow up

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Hong Kong Baptist University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Acupuncture for Body Weight Control: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Important dates

Study start
2015
Primary completion
2016
Study completion
2016
First posted
Aug 6, 2015
Registry last updated
Mar 15, 2017

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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