Electroacupuncture and Rosiglitazone Combined Therapy as a Means of Treating Insulin Resistance and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus : A Randomized Controlled Trial

الملخص EN

Aims.

To evaluate the efficacy of rosiglitazone (TZD) and electroacupuncture (EA) combined therapy as a treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients by randomized single-blind placebo controlled clinical trial.

Methods.

A total of 31 newly diagnostic T2DM patients, who fulfilled the study's eligibility criteria, were recruited.

The individuals were randomly assigned into two groups, the control group (TZD, N=15) and the experimental group (TZD + EA, N=16).

Changes in their plasma free fatty acid (FFA), glucose, and insulin levels, together with their homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) indices, were statistically compared before and after treatment.

Hypoglycemic activity (%) was also compared between these two groups.

Results.

There was no significant difference in hypoglycemic activity between the TZD and TZD + EA group.

The effectiveness of the combined therapy seems to derive from an improvement in insulin resistance and a significant lowering of the secreted insulin rather than the effect of TZD alone on T2DM.

The combined treatment had no significant adverse effects.

A lower plasma FFA concentration is likely to be the mechanism that causes this effect.

Conclusion.

This combined therapy seems to suppress endogenous insulin secretion by improving insulin resistance via a mechanism involving a reduction in plasma FFA.

This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01577095.