Effect of Electroacupuncture on Central Obesity and Fatty Liver in Postmenopausal Women

BMI will be calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared (kg/m²). Height will be measured using a stadiometer, and BMI will be assessed at baseline and post-intervention. BMI serves as a primary outcome as it provides a standardized indicator of overall obesity and treatment-related changes in adiposity.

Waist circumference will be measured at the narrowest point between the xiphoid process and the iliac crest at the end of gentle expiration, with participants standing. This measure directly reflects central obesity and is therefore considered a primary outcome.

Hip circumference will be assessed at the level of maximum circumference over the femoral trochanters.

WHR will be calculated by dividing waist circumference by hip circumference. This index reflects fat distribution and cardiometabolic risk, making it a primary outcome for central obesity assessment.

In the context of fatty liver disease, elevated SGOT levels reflect the degree of hepatic inflammation and cellular stress associated with lipid accumulation within hepatocytes. This biomarker will be measured from venous blood samples collected from the antecubital fossa of each participant at baseline and following the completion of the 12-week intervention. Samples will undergo centrifugation within eight hours of collection, with serum preserved at -20°C pending laboratory analysis.

Elevated SGPT activity in the serum is considered a hallmark biochemical indicator of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the hepatic manifestation most commonly associated with central obesity and insulin resistance in postmenopausal women. Blood samples will be drawn from the antecubital vein of each participant before and after the 12-week treatment period, centrifuged within eight hours of collection, and the resulting serum stored at -20°C until analysis.

Fasting venous blood samples will be collected from the antecubital vein at baseline and after the 12-week intervention period. Serum will be separated by centrifugation within 8 hours and stored at -20°C until analysis. TC will be assessed using standardized enzymatic laboratory methods.

TC will be quantified from serum samples obtained via antecubital venipuncture before and after the 12-week treatment program. Samples will be centrifuged within eight hours of collection and stored at -20°C until analysis.

LDL levels will be determined from serum samples drawn from the antecubital fossa of each participant prior to and following the 12-week intervention period. Collected samples will be centrifuged within eight hours and preserved at -20°C for subsequent laboratory analysis.

HDL-C will be quantified from venous blood samples collected at the antecubital fossa before and after the 12-week electroacupuncture protocol, following centrifugation within eight hours and storage at -20°C.