ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To observe the regulative effects of the acupuncture on glucose and lipid metabolism disorder in the patients of metabolic syndrome. METHODS Seventy-six patients of metabolic syndrome were rando-mized into an acupuncture plus western medicine group (37 cases) and a western medicine group (39 cases). In the western medicine group, the conventional western medication was used for 40 days. In the acupuncture plus western medicine group, the acupuncture was combined on the basis of the treatment as the western medicine group, the acupoints were Danzhong (CV 17), Zhongwan (CV 12), Tianshu (ST 25), etc. Ten treatments were as one...Weiterlesen

Red yeast rice (Hong Qu) may be an effective alternative treatment for people with high cholesterol who cannot tolerate statins. Sixty two patients with dyslipidemia, who had discontinued statin therapy due to muscle pain, were assigned to receive red yeast rice (1800mg) or placebo twice daily for 24 weeks. All patients were also enrolled in a 12-week therapeutic lifestyle change program. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level was significantly lower in the red yeast rice group than in the placebo group at both 12 and 24 weeks. Significant reductions were also observed for total cholesterol levels in the red yeast rice...Weiterlesen

A Chinese study has used ultrasound scanning to show that acupuncture at Jianjing GB-21 can regulate the volume of the gall bladder in cholecystitis patients and improve their symptoms. Sixty patients with chronic cholecystitis were randomised to receive needling at either Jianjing GB-21 or a non-acupoint. A colour Doppler ultrasound scanner was used to detect the volume of the gall bladder before needle insertion, 15 minutes after initial acupuncture stimulation and 30 minutes after withdrawal of the needle. Following verum acupuncture, the remission rates of shoulder/back pain and stomach ache in the acupoint and non-acupoint groups were found to be...Weiterlesen

A study from China suggests that a combination of moxibustion and acupuncture can relieve inflammation and repair the damaged intestinal epithelial barrier in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD). Sixty patients diagnosed with mild to moderate CD were allocated to two groups. One group received the drug mesalazine (1g tablets four times daily for 12 weeks), while the other group received moxibustion combined with acupuncture (M&A). In the M&A group two sets of acupoints were used alternately – Set A: Tianshu ST-25, Qihai REN-6 and Shuifen REN-9 for moxibustion plus Zusanli ST-36, Shangjuxu ST-37, Quchi L.I.-11 and Hegu L.I.4 for acupuncture,...Weiterlesen

A Chinese herbal formula had been found to be effective for functional constipation by a study carried out in Hong Kong. The formula Ma Zi Ren Wan (MZRW – composed of Huo Ma Ren [Fructus Cannabis], Da Huang [Radix et Rhizoma Rhei], Bai Shao [Radix Paeoniae Alba], Xing Ren [Semen Armeniacae Amarum], Zhi Shi [Fructus Aurantii Immaturus] and Hou Pu [Cortex Magnoliae Officinalis]) was first mentioned as a treatment for constipation in the Shang Han Lun (Discussion of Cold-induced Disorders). As part of a prospective, randomised controlled clinical trial, 120 subjects with functional constipation were randomised into two groups. One group received...Weiterlesen

ABSTRACT Introduction Diabetes mellitus is a major global health problem. Needling at CV-12 has reduced blood glucose level in diabetic rats. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of needling at CV-12 (Zhongwan) on blood glucose level in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Materials and Methods Forty T2DM patients were recruited and randomized into either the acupuncture group or placebo control group. The participants in the acupuncture group were needled at CV-12 (4 cun above the center of the umbilicus), and those in the placebo control group were needled at a placebo point on the right side of the abdomen (1 cun beside the CV-12). For both groups,...Weiterlesen

A study from China suggests that Jianpi Qingchang Decoction (JQD) can be used to relieve symptoms in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). A total of 120 patients with active UC, diagnosed with the TCM pattern of Spleen deficiency and damp-heat, were randomly divided into two groups. Patients in the treatment group were treated with JQD (Huang Qi [Radix Astragali], Huang Lian [Rhizoma Coptidis], Dang Shen [Radix Codonopsis], Ma Chi Xian [Herba Portulacae], Sheng Di Yu [Radix Sanguisorbae], San Qi [Radix Notoginseng] Bai Ji [Rhizoma Bletillae] Mu XIang [Radix Aucklandiae], and Sheng Gan Cao [Radix Glycyrrhizae]), while patients in control group...Weiterlesen

An experimental study had found that acupuncture at the ‘Four Gates’ (Siguan) can normalise accelerated gastrointestinal (GI) motility. In a Korean experiment, 21 healthy male subjects were randomly allocated to either a real acupuncture group (needled at bilateral Hegu L.I.-4 and Taichong LIV-3) or a sham acupuncture group (needled at non-acupoints two to three centimetres lateral from Hegu L.I.-4 and Taichong LIV-3). In order to induce excessive and accelerated GI motility, subjects were administered the drug mosapride citrate for two days, starting 24 hours before the first acupuncture treatment. All participants were also administered radioisotope markers immediately before the first...Weiterlesen

ABSTRACT Background Subclinical hypothyroidism, a thyroid disorder without obvious symptoms of thyroid deficiency, occurs in 3%–8% of the global population. Ashwagandha [Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal], a traditional medicine in Ayurveda, is often prescribed for thyroid dysfunctions. Objective This pilot study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ashwagandha root extract in subclinical hypothyroid patients. Design, Setting, and Participants A prospective, randomized, double-blind, single-center placebo-controlled study was performed at Sudbhawana Hospital, Varanasi, India between May 2016 and September 2016. Fifty subjects with elevated serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels (4.5–10 μIU/L) aged between 18 and 50 were randomized in either...Weiterlesen

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy and side effects of acupuncture, sham acupuncture and drugs in the treatment of chronic constipation. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effects of acupuncture and drugs for chronic constipation were comprehensively retrieved from electronic databases (such as PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, CNKI, Wanfang Database, VIP Database and CBM) up to December 2017. Additional references were obtained from review articles. With quality evaluations and data extraction, a network meta-analysis (NMA) was performed using a random-effects model under a frequentist framework. A total of 40 studies (n = 11032) were included:...Weiterlesen