1.
Acupuncture and related techniques for obesity and cardiovascular risk factors: a systematic review and meta-regression analysis.
Chen, J, Chen, D, Ren, Q, Zhu, W, Xu, S, Lu, L, Chen, X, Yan, D, Nie, H, Zhou, X
Acupuncture in medicine : journal of the British Medical Acupuncture Society. 2020;(4):227-234
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess how acupuncture and related techniques affect weight-related indicators and cardiovascular risk factors compared with non-acupuncture interventions in overweight and obese patients. METHODS We searched PubMed, Embase and CENTRAL up to 19 April 2018 and included relevant randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Weighted mean differences (WMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were pooled using the inverse variance method with random-effects model. Prespecified hypotheses were tested in meta-regression to investigate the source of heterogeneity. Statistical software packages used were RevMan 5.3.5 and Stata 14.0. RESULTS Thirty-three RCTs were included (n=2503 patients). Compared with non-acupuncture interventions, acupuncture produced a greater reduction in body weight (WMD -1.76 kg, 95% CI -2.22 to -1.30, I2=77%; moderate quality), body mass index (WMD -1.13 kg/m2, 95% CI -1.38 to -0.88, I2=85%; low quality) and waist circumference (WMD -2.42 cm, 95% CI -3.22 to -1.62, I2=75%; moderate quality). Acupuncture plus lifestyle intervention resulted in a greater reduction in body weight than acupuncture alone (MD -1.94 kg, 95% CI -3.17 to -0.70). Acupuncture also led to a greater reduction in total cholesterol (WMD -12.87 mg/dL, 95% CI -22.17 to -3.57, I2=87%; very low quality) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (WMD -13.52 mg/dL, 95% CI -21.47 to -5.58, I2=74%; low quality). The differences were not statistically significant for blood glucose or blood pressure. CONCLUSION In the short term, acupuncture and related techniques may produce a small but statistically significant degree of weight loss based on moderate- to low-quality evidence, and improve serum lipid parameters based on low- to very-low-quality evidence. Their effects on blood glucose and blood pressure remain uncertain.
2.
Enhancement of Neural Salty Preference in Obesity.
Li, Q, Jin, R, Yu, H, Lang, H, Cui, Y, Xiong, S, Sun, F, He, C, Liu, D, Jia, H, et al
Cellular physiology and biochemistry : international journal of experimental cellular physiology, biochemistry, and pharmacology. 2017;(5):1987-2000
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Obesity and high salt intake are major risk factors for hypertension and cardiometabolic diseases. Obese individuals often consume more dietary salt. We aim to examine the neurophysiologic effects underlying obesity-related high salt intake. METHODS A multi-center, random-order, double-blind taste study, SATIETY-1, was conducted in the communities of four cities in China; and an interventional study was also performed in the local community of Chongqing, using brain positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scanning. RESULTS We showed that overweight/obese individuals were prone to consume a higher daily salt intake (2.0 g/day higher compared with normal weight individuals after multivariable adjustment, 95% CI, 1.2-2.8 g/day, P < 0.001), furthermore they exhibited reduced salt sensitivity and a higher salt preference. The altered salty taste and salty preference in the overweight/obese individuals was related to increased activity in brain regions that included the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC, r = 0.44, P= 0.01), insula (r = 0.38, P= 0.03), and parahippocampus (r = 0.37, P= 0.04). CONCLUSION Increased salt intake among overweight/obese individuals is associated with altered salt sensitivity and preference that related to the abnormal activity of gustatory cortex. This study provides insights for reducing salt intake by modifying neural processing of salty preference in obesity.