[Clinical effect of acupoint thread-embedding therapy at different intervals in the intervention of metabolic syndrome].

Objective: To investigate the clinical effect of acupoint thread-embedding therapy at different intervals in the treatment of metabolic syndrome, and to find the optimal treatment interval.

Methods: A total of 70 patients with metabolic syndrome were randomly divided into treatment group 1 (＝35)and treatment group 2(＝35). Both groups were given acupoint thread-embedding therapy at Zhongwan (CV12), bilateral Liangmen (ST21), bilateral Huaroumen (ST24), bilateral Tianshu (ST25), bilateral Daimai (GB26), Guanyuan (CV4), bilateral Dachangshu (BL25), bilateral Pishu (BL20), bilateral Zusanli (ST36), bilateral Yinlingquan (SP9), and bilateral Fenglong (ST40), and the treatment interval was 7 d for treatment group 1 and 14 d for treatment group 2. Each course of treatment was 42 d, and both groups were treated for 2 courses. Waist circumfe-rence (WC), hip circumference (HC), waist-hip ratio (WHR), body mass index (BMI), serum triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and glycosylated hemoglobin (Hb1Ac) were measured before and after treatment to analyze clinical outcome, and adverse reactions were recorded.

Results: After treatment, both groups had significant reductions in WC, HC, WHR, BMI, TG, LDL-C, FPG and Hb1Ac (<0.05) and a significant increase in HDL-C (<0.05). Compared with treatment group 1, treatment group 2 had significant increases in WC, WHR, BMI, TG, LDL-C, FPG and Hb1Ac (<0.05) and a significant reduction in HDL-C (<0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence rate of adverse reactions between the two groups (>0.05).

Conclusion: Under the premise of ensuring efficacy and safety, an interval of 7 d is the optimal interval for acupoint thread-embedding therapy in the clinical intervention of metabolic syndrome.