title: Effect of laser acupuncture combined with a diet-exercise intervention on metabolic syndrome in post-menopausal women.
abstract: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of laser acupuncture combined with a diet-exercise intervention on features of the metabolic syndrome (MetS). Twenty-eight obese post-menopausal women were randomly distributed to the control and laser acupuncture group. The control group received the diet-exercise intervention and the study group received the same intervention and sessions of laser acupuncture, 3 times/week for 12 weeks. Anthropometric measurement, fasting blood glucose and insulin levels, homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and lipid profile were assessed before and after the treatment course. Both groups showed a significant decrease in the anthropometric and metabolic parameters. However, laser acupuncture group showed a greater decrease in the waist (P = 0.001) and hip (P = 0.001) circumferences, cholesterol (P = 0.04), and insulin levels (P = 0.043) than the control group. These results suggest that laser acupuncture is a valuable approach that could be added to the diet-exercise intervention to correct features of the MetS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy for Women's Health, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
authors.forename: Hanan S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: El-Mekawy
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy for Women's Health, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
authors.forename: Abeer M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: ElDeeb
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
authors.forename: Hassan O
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Ghareib
keywords: Laser acupuncture; Metabolic syndrome; Obesity; Post-menopause