Metformin combined with acupuncture knife therapy improves blood sugar, QoL in type 2 diabetes patients: Study

The study, published in Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion, was conducted by Zhu Tao, Chengdu University of TCM, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China, and colleagues aimed to observe the clinical efficacy of acupotomy combined with metformin hydrochloride tablet for type 2 diabetes mellitus and its effect on serum levels of inflammatory factors.

The study included 68 patients with type 2 diabetes; they were randomized into an acupotomy group (34 cases, 2 cases dropped out) and a western medication group (34 cases, 2 cases dropped out).

In the western medication group, metformin hydrochloride tablet was given orally, 0.5-1 g each time, twice a day, for eight weeks continuously. Based on the treatment in the Western medication group, acupoints were taken on both sides of the diaphragm. Shu, gastroenteritis, Ganshu, once a week for 8 consecutive weeks in the acupotomy group once a week for continuously eight weeks.

In the two groups, blood glucose (fasting blood glucose [FBG], glycosylated hemoglobin [HbA1c], and 2-hour plasma glucose [2 h PG]), blood lipids (total cholesterol [TC], triglyceride [TG], low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C] and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C]), TCM syndrome score, insulin (fasting insulin [FINS] and 2-hour insulin [2 h INS]), the dosage of metformin hydrochloride tablet, C-peptide indexes (fasting C-peptide [FC-P] and 2-hour C-peptide [2 h C-P]), and diabetes-specific quality of life (DSQL) score were observed, the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-17 were measured by ELISA before and after treatment.

The study led to the following findings:

• After treatment, the FBG, HbA1c, 2 h PG, TCM syndrome scores, TC, TG, LDL-C, FINS, 2 h INS, FC-P, 2 h C-P, DSQL scores as well as the serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, IL-17 were decreased compared with those before treatment, HDL-C was increased compared with that before treatment in the two groups; the dosage of metformin hydrochloride tablet was decreased compared with that before treatment in the acupotomy group.
• After treatment, in the acupotomy group, the FBG, HbA1c, TCM syndrome score, TC, TG, LDL-C, FINS, 2 h INS, FC-P, 2 h C-P, dosage of metformin hydrochloride tablet, DSQL score as well as the serum level of TNF-α were lower than those in the western medication group.

In conclusion, acupotomy combined with metformin hydrochloride tablet can improve clinical symptoms, blood glucose, and quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes; its mechanism may be related to the regulation of inflammatory reactions.

Reference:

Zhu Tao, et al. “Clinical efficacy of acupuncture combined with metformin hydrochloride tablets in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and its impact on serum inflammatory factor levels.” Chinese Acupuncture 44.03 (2024):245-250. doi:10.13703 /j.0255-2930.20230705-k0002.