title: [Effect of Acupuncture Therapy on Visceral Fat Thickness in Simple Central Obesity Patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture therapy in decreasing visceral fat thickness(VFT) in patients with simple central obesity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty patients with simple central obesity (syndrome of stomach and intestinal excessive heat) were randomly divided into control and acupuncture groups. Patients of the control group were treated with diet control and physical exercise procedure (basic treatment) for 6 months, and those of the acupuncture group treated with basic treatment combined with acupuncture stimulation of main acupoints Shuifen (CV 9), Yinjiao (CV 7), and bilateral Tianshu (ST 25), Huaroumen (ST 24) and bilateral Wailing (ST 26), etc., in combination with electroacupuncture (EA, 50- 100 Hz, 1- 5 mA) of bilateral ST 25, CV 9 and CV 7 for 30 min, once every other day for 3 months. The VFT (1 cm above the umbilicus) was detected by using an ultrasonic diagnosis instrument, and the body mass index (BMI, body weight/height(2)), and waist circumfe-rence (WC) were measured before treatment, 3 and 6 months after the treatment, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Following 3 and 6 months' treatment, the VFT, BMI and WC of both groups were significantly decreased (P<0.01), and the effects of the acupuncture group were significantly superior to those of the control group in lowering VFT [(51.5 ± 6.5) mm vs (48.3 ± 4.7) mm)] and WC [(88.2 ± 3.6)cm vs (85.9 ± 4.3)cm] 6 months' after the treatment (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between the control and acupuncture groups in BMI fowllowing 6 months' treatment [(31.0 ± 4.3) vs (30.1 ± 3.2), P>0.05].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acupuncture intervention combined with diet control and physical exercise can effectively decrease VFT and WC in simple central obesity patients. VFT is a sensitive and better parameter for evaluating the effect of obesity treatment.
authors.forename: Cui-yan
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio; D055815:Young Adult