Acupuncture showed considerable advantages over the metformin for obese PCOS patients. Acupuncture was shown to be more effective then metformin at improving menstrual freqency, reducing body mass index and waist to hip ratio. It also had fewer side-effects.
Effectiveness of Abdominal Acupuncture for Patients with Obesity-Type Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial
To cite this article:
Yan-Hua Zheng, Xin-Hua Wang, Mao-Hua Lai, Hong Yao, Hua Liu, and Hong-Xia Ma. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. -Not available-, ahead of print. doi:10.1089/acm.2012.0429.
Online Ahead of Print: May 15, 2013
Yan-Hua Zheng, MM, Xin-Hua Wang, MD, Mao-Hua Lai, MD, Hong Yao, MM, Hua Liu, MM, and Hong-Xia Ma, MD
First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College, Guangzhou, China.
Address correspondence to:
Hong-Xia Ma, MD
First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College
151 Yanjiang Road
Guangzhou 510120
China
Email: doctormaxia_1974@yahoo.com.cn
ABSTRACT
Objective: To assess the effectiveness of abdominal acupuncture at the endocrine and metabolic level in patients with obesity-type polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Methods: Eighty-six women from the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College with a diagnosis of PCOS (body–mass index [BMI] ?25 kg/m2) were randomly assigned to receive 6 months of abdominal acupuncture (once a day) or oral metformin (250?mg three times daily in the first week, followed by 500?mg three times daily thereafter). BMI, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), ovarian volume, menstrual frequency, homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and Ferriman–Gallwey score were measured at the beginning of the study and after 6 months of treatment. Luteotrophic hormone (LH), testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), fasting blood glucose, 2-hour Postprandial blood glucose, fasting insulin, 2-hour postprandial blood insulin, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were also assessed.
Results: According to the results at baseline and 6 months, BMI, WHR, Ferriman–Gallwey score, ovarian volume, luteotrophic hormone, ratio of luteotrophic hormone to follicle-stimulating hormone, testosterone, LDL-C, triglycerides, total cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, 2-hour postprandial blood glucose, fasting insulin, 2-hour postprandial blood insulin, and HOMA-IR were reduced significantly in the two groups (p<0.05). Menstrual frequency and HDL-C (p<0.05) increased significantly in both groups; follicle-stimulating hormone also increased in both groups, but the change was not significant (p>0.05). The acupuncture group showed considerable advantages over the metformin group in terms of reduced BMI and WHR and increases in menstrual frequency (p<0.05). Conclusion: Abdominal acupuncture and metformin improved the endocrine and metabolic function of patients with obesity-type PCOS. Abdominal acupuncture may be more effective in improving menstrual frequency, BMI, and WHR, with few adverse effects.