title: The short-term effects of acupuncture on patients with diabetic gastroparesis: a randomised crossover study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acupuncture may improve gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with various disorders, but its efficacy in diabetic gastroparesis is unclear.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the short-term effects of acupuncture on gastric emptying and gastroparesis symptoms in patients with diabetic gastroparesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a single-blind controlled crossover trial, 25 patients with diabetic gastroparesis were randomly assigned to undergo 1 week of real acupuncture (RA) treatment followed by 1 week of sham acupuncture (SA) treatment, or vice versa, with a washout of 1 month in between. Before and after each intervention, gastric retention, the Gastroparesis Cardinal Symptom Index (GCSI), fasting blood glucose (FBG) and HbA1c levels were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  21 patients completed the study. Compared with SA treatment, RA treatment was associated with significantly greater reductions in gastric retention at 2 h (-11.1±7.0%; 95% CI -13.6% to -6.2%; p<0.01) and at 4 h (-5.0±2.8%; 95% CI -6.0% to -0.2%; p=0.04) and in GCSI score (-8.0±3.4; 95% CI -8.4 to -2.8; p<0.01). There were no significant differences in FBG and HbA1c levels between RA and SA treatments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with diabetic gastroparesis, 1 week of short-term manual acupuncture reduces gastric retention and improves gastroparesis symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First People's Hospital of Chenzhou, Chenzhou, Hunan, China.
authors.forename: Guomin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Chengfei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture and Moxibustion Research Institute, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Xuezhu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First People's Hospital of Chenzhou, Chenzhou, Hunan, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hubei Jianghan Oilfield General Hospital, Jianghan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Haiyan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yinshan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Zhigang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005746:Gastric Emptying; D018589:Gastroparesis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose
keywords: ACUPUNCTURE