Clinical Research Directory

The Effect of Acupuncture on Sarcopenia and Obesity in Patients With Sarcopenic Obesity.

Sarcopenia is defined by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) as "a syndrome characterized by progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength, carrying a risk of adverse outcomes such as physical disability, fractures, falls, impaired quality of life, and death. Obesity is classified according to the Body Mass Index (BMI), which is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by the square of height in meters. According to the World Health Organization and most current guidelines for Western societies, obesity is defined as a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m². Sarcopenic obesity was first defined by Baumgartner as the co-occurrence of sarcopenia and obesity, measured using DEXA (10). Sarcopenic obesity is defined as the co-occurrence of high adiposity and sarcopenia; a term originally coined to describe low skeletal muscle mass, strength, and physical function, initially diagnosed in the elderly but present across the entire age spectrum. Combining the effects of both sarcopenia and obesity, sarcopenic obesity has been found to be associated with lower quality of life and greater disability, morbidity, and mortality compared to obesity or sarcopenia alone. Acupuncture is derived from the Latin words for needle (acus) and piercing (punctura). In Western languages, it is written as acupuncture. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is believed that diseases are caused by disturbances in the flow of life energy (Qi) circulating in channels called meridians in the body. Acupuncture aims to correct this disrupted energy flow by inserting needles into specific points along the meridians in the body. Numerous studies have reported that acupuncture is widely used in the treatment of obesity. Current evidence-based reviews have shown that acupuncture is effective in treating obesity. It has been suggested that acupuncture is an effective treatment for simple obesity rather than a placebo effect. The literature contains many studies on acupuncture in the treatment of obesity. However, there are no studies on acupuncture in sarcopenic obesity. Our study aimed to determine the effect of acupuncture on sarcopenia and obesity in patients with sarcopenic obesity.

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Acupuncture for the Management of Hot Flashes in Patients With Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer

Hot flashes are among the most common and distressing adverse effects experienced by patients receiving endocrine therapy for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and non-hormonal medications can alleviate symptoms but are limited by side effects and safety concerns, leading to poor adherence. Acupuncture, a traditional Chinese medical therapy involving percutaneous stimulation of specific acupoints, has shown potential to reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes with minimal adverse events. This randomized, parallel-controlled clinical trial aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in managing hot flashes in postoperative breast cancer patients undergoing endocrine therapy. Sixty eligible patients with stage I-III hormone receptor-positive breast cancer will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either true acupuncture or sham acupuncture, three times per week for eight weeks, followed by a 16-week follow-up period without acupuncture. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) will be employed to explore neural mechanisms underlying acupuncture's effects, alongside assessments of hot flash frequency, quality of life (FACT-B+ES), sleep quality (PSQI), and serum biomarkers related to endocrine and neuropeptide regulation. The results are expected to provide evidence for the efficacy and central mechanisms of acupuncture in managing hot flashes in breast cancer patients.