TY  - JOUR
AU  - Li, Qifu
AU  - Huang, Gaoyangzi
AU  - Pei, Xianmei
AU  - Tang, Xin
AU  - Zhang, Renrui
AU  - Huang, Ya
AU  - Liu, Zili
AU  - Yi, Rong
AU  - Xing, Chonghui
AU  - Zhang, Xinghe
AU  - Guo, Taipin
PY  - 2023
DA  - 2023/7/10
TI  - The Effect of Catgut Embedding at Acupoints Versus Nonacupoints in Abdominal Obesity: Protocol for a Multicenter, Double-Blind, 16-Week Randomized Controlled Trial
JO  - JMIR Res Protoc
SP  - e46863
VL  - 12
KW  - acupoint catgut embedding
KW  - nonacupoints
KW  - abdominal obesity
KW  - randomized controlled trial
KW  - protocol
KW  - waist circumference
AB  - Background: Obesity is an increasing problem worldwide. The effective treatments for obesity mainly include diet, physical activity, behavioral intervention, pharmacotherapy, and bariatric surgery, which all have certain limitations. As a specific type of acupuncture therapy, acupoint catgut embedding (ACE) has gained substantial attention in the management of obesity in recent years. Previous studies suggested that ACE may be an effective obesity treatment. However, the evidence for the efficacy of ACE in abdominal obesity (AO) remains inadequate due to the paucity of high-quality studies. Objective: This study aims to investigate the difference in the effectiveness of catgut embedding at acupoints and catgut embedding at nonacupoints in patients with AO and to further validate the efficacy and safety of ACE for AO. Methods: This is a multicenter, double-blind, 16-week randomized controlled trial. A total of 92 eligible participants with AO will be randomly divided into 2 groups (1:1 allocation ratio). The ACE group will receive catgut embedding at acupoints and the control group will receive catgut embedding at nonacupoints. The intervention will be performed every 2 weeks for a total of 6 sessions. Follow-up will be performed every 2 weeks for a total of 2 visits. The primary outcome is waist circumference. Secondary outcomes include body weight, BMI, hip circumference, and the visual analog scale of appetite. Upon the completion of the trial, we will evaluate the effect of catgut embedding at acupoints or nonacupoints on obesity indicators in patients with AO. For treatment outcomes, an intention-to-treat analysis will be performed. Results: The start of recruitment began in August 2019 and is expected to end in September 2023. Conclusions: Although studies have been conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of ACE in the treatment of obesity, the evidence for the efficacy of ACE in AO remains insufficient due to the quality of the studies. This rigorous normative randomized controlled trial will verify the effect of catgut embedding at acupoints or nonacupoints in patients with AO. The findings will provide credible evidence as to whether ACE is an effective and safe treatment for AO. Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR1800016947; https://tinyurl.com/2p82257p International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/46863 
SN  - 1929-0748
UR  - https://www.researchprotocols.org/2023/1/e46863
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/46863
UR  - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37428535
DO  - 10.2196/46863
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/46863
ER  -