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Sponsor: Taipei City Hospital
Conditions: Obesity, Obesity, Abdominal, Overweight
Interventions: Acupoint catgut embedding, Active laser acupuncture, Sham laser acupuncture, Dietary and exercise counseling
Countries: Taiwan
Acupoint catgut embedding and laser acupuncture have each been studied as treatments for obesity in adults, but the two have not been evaluated in combination, and few trials have measured anthropometric, biochemical, and blood pressure outcomes together. This single-center randomized sham-controlled trial plans to enroll 120 adults aged 20 to 65 years with obesity. All participants receive the same acupoint catgut embedding with poliglecaprone 25 absorbable suture at 15 acupoints, comprising 25 insertions, once every 2 weeks for 6 sessions over 12 weeks. Participants are randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive, immediately before each embedding session, either active 810 nm laser acupuncture or sham laser acupuncture delivered with a device that is identical in appearance, indicator light, and operating sound but emits no therapeutic energy. Both groups also receive standardized dietary and exercise counseling. Because the acupoint embedding regimen is identical in both groups and the groups differ only in whether the laser emits energy, the comparison estimates the incremental effect of laser acupuncture added to acupoint embedding. Participants are treated for 12 weeks and then followed for a further 12 weeks, to Week 24.
Sex: ALL
Age: 20 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers: No
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 20 to 65 years * Body mass index of 27 kg/m\^2 or greater, or body mass index of 24 kg/m\^2 or greater together with a waist circumference of 90 cm or greater in men or 80 cm or greater in women * Able to fully understand the informed consent document and willing to give written informed consent * No use of weight-loss medication and no other weight-reduction treatment in the 3 months before enrollment * Willing to follow the dietary and exercise advice given during the trial Exclusion Criteria: * Current use of medication that may affect body weight, including corticosteroids, antipsychotics, insulin, or glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists * Known secondary cause of obesity, such as hypothyroidism, Cushing syndrome, or pituitary disease * Severe cardiovascular, hepatic, or renal disease, or poorly controlled diabetes defined as glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) above 9 percent * Currently pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning pregnancy within 6 months * Bariatric surgery within the previous 6 months * Known allergy to absorbable suture material * Skin infection at the embedding sites, keloid tendency, or coagulation disorder * Implanted cardiac pacemaker or other electromagnetic implant * Known photosensitivity disorder or current use of photosensitizing medication
- Taipei, Taiwan