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Effect of acupuncture and intervention types on weight loss: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Author(s) -
Kim S.Y.,
Shin I.S.,
Park Y.J.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
obesity reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.845
H-Index - 162
eISSN - 1467-789X
pISSN - 1467-7881
DOI - 10.1111/obr.12747
Subject(s) - acupuncture , medicine , overweight , randomized controlled trial , body mass index , weight loss , meta analysis , obesity , physical therapy , traditional medicine , alternative medicine , pathology
Summary This study aimed to evaluate the effect of acupuncture and intervention types on weight loss. We searched electronic databases, including Embase, PubMed, CENTRAL, RISS, KISS and CNKI, for randomized controlled trials that used acupuncture to treat obesity before June 2017. We found 27 trials involving 32 intervention arms and 2,219 patients. Acupuncture plus lifestyle modification (LM) was more effective than LM alone (Hedges' g = 1.104, 95% CI = 0.531–1.678) and sham acupuncture plus LM (Hedges' g = 0.324, 95% CI = 0.177–0.471), whereas acupuncture alone was not more effective than sham acupuncture alone and no treatment. Auricular acupuncture (Hedges' g = 0.522, 95% CI = 0.152–0.893), manual acupuncture (Hedges' g = 0445, 95% CI = 0.044–0.846) and pharmacopuncture (Hedges' g = 0.411, 95% CI = 0.026–0.796) favoured weight loss. Finally, acupuncture treatment was effective only in subjects with overweight (25 ≤ body mass index < 30, Hedges' g = 0.528, 95% CI = 0.279–0.776), not in subjects with obesity (body mass index ≥30). Our study suggests that the effect of acupuncture on weight loss may be maximized when auricular and manual acupuncture or pharmacopuncture treatment is combined with LM in patients with overweight.