Effect of Acupressure on Blood Glucose And Anxiety in Elderly With Diabetes

NCT07356024 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: BAIBU-SBF-YO-2025
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 48
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study is designed to evaluate the effect of acupressure on blood glucose levels and anxiety in elderly individuals with diabetes. Participants will be assigned to an acupressure intervention group or a control group. The primary outcome of the study is blood glucose level, which will be assessed at baseline and at the end of the intervention period. Secondary outcomes include anxiety levels.

Conditions

Diabetes Mellitus; Acupressure

Keywords

Randomized Controlled Trial; Diabetes; Elderly; Acupressure; Anxiety; Blood Glucose

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Blood Glucose

  Participant's blood glucose results will be evaluated by capillary blood glucose measurement after at least 8-10 hours of fasting and 2 hours after meals in a postprandial state. Measurement Process: Fasting blood sugar measurement: Fasting blood glucose will be evaluated before starting the application, after 3 sessions and 24 hours after the end of 6 sessions, after an 8-10 hour fast. Postprandial blood glucose measurement: Postprandial blood glucose levels will be assessed at the 2nd hour after the first bite of the meal. The first postprandial blood glucose assessment will take into account the first meal after the first session, the second assessment will take into account the first meal after the 3rd session, and the third assessment will take into account the postprandial blood glucose levels measured at the first meal after the 6th session.

  Baseline to Day 6

• Anxiety

  Anxiety levels will be assessed using the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) is a validated self-report questionnaire used to assess anxiety. It consists of two distinct subscales: State Anxiety (STAI-S), which measures temporary anxiety related to the individual's current condition, and Trait Anxiety (STAI-T), which measures a person's general and long-term tendency to experience anxiety. Each subscale includes 20 items, with total scores ranging from 20 to 80. Higher scores indicate higher levels of anxiety, while lower scores indicate lower anxiety levels. Measurement Process: Before the intervention, the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) will be administered. The Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory will be applied to the participants half an hour after the first session, before the sixth session, and half an hour after the completion of the sixth session to assess their current anxiety levels.

  Baseline to Day 6

Study Arms (3)

Acupressure Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants assigned to this group will receive acupressure applied to the HT7, SP6, and ST36 acupoints by a trained researcher. The intervention will be administered once daily for six sessions, with each session lasting approximately 15-20 minutes, in addition to routine clinical care.

Other: Acupressure

Placebo Group

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

Participants assigned to this group will receive sham acupressure, consisting of light pressure applied to non-acupoint areas near the same anatomical regions as the intervention group. The sham procedure will be administered once daily for six sessions, with each session lasting approximately 15-20 minutes, in addition to routine clinical care. Pressure will be applied on the bone area where the meridians do not pass, parallel to the points where acupressure is applied to the sham points (approximately 1-1.5 cm away).

Other: Placebo Sham Acupressure

Control Group (Routine Care)

OTHER

Participants assigned to this group will receive routine clinical care only and will not receive any additional intervention during the study period.

Other: Routine care

Interventions

Acupressure OTHER

The acupressure intervention will be conducted in a designated room at the institution, once daily for 6 consecutive days, with each session lasting 15-20 minutes, totaling 6 sessions. During the first 3-5 minutes of each session, participants will be guided to the appropriate position and approached to ensure comfort. Acupressure will then be applied to a total of six points: both wrists (HT7) and both legs (ST36, SP6), with two points on each limb. Each of the six points will receive a 30-second preparation followed by 2 minutes of acupressure application

Acupressure Group

Placebo Sham Acupressure OTHER

Participants in the placebo group will receive sham acupressure administered by the researcher in a quiet, designated room at the institution, once daily for 6 consecutive days, with each session lasting 15-20 minutes, totaling 6 sessions. Pressure will be applied to bony areas approximately 1.5-2 cm away from the HT7, SP6, and ST36 points, where no meridians pass. Prior to the application, the sham points will be gently warmed and massaged for approximately 20 seconds to reduce tissue sensitivity, preparing the area for the sham acupressure procedure. In the intervention group, evaluation will be made at the specified frequency, using the same measurement tools and the same measurement methods.

Placebo Group

Routine care OTHER

Participants will receive routine clinical care only and no additional intervention.

Control Group (Routine Care)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 65 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Voluntarily agreeing to participate in the study,
• Being 65 years of age or older,
• Having been diagnosed with diabetes for at least one year,
• Not having any hearing, speech, or vision impairments that would interfere with communication,
• Being able to speak and understand Turkish,
• Having a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of 23 or higher for literate participants and 19 or higher for illiterate participants,
• Not using any other complementary or supportive therapies during the study period,
• Receiving dietary treatment or oral antidiabetic medication for diabetes management,
• Having no skin irritation, ulceration, or other impairment of skin integrity at the application sites.

You may not qualify if:

• Initiation of a new medication with potential effects on blood glucose levels in addition to the current treatment during the study period,
• Use of insulin therapy for diabetes management.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Abant Izzet Baysal University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University

Bolu, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Diabetes Mellitus; Anxiety Disorders

Interventions

Acupressure

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Glucose Metabolism Disorders; Metabolic Diseases; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Endocrine System Diseases; Mental Disorders

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Therapy, Soft Tissue; Musculoskeletal Manipulations; Complementary Therapies; Therapeutics; Physical Therapy Modalities; Rehabilitation

Central Study Contacts

Saadet CAN ÇİÇEK

CONTACT

+905062846936; saadet.cancicek@ibu.edu.tr

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: Data collection and data entry will be performed by trained personnel independent of the intervention process. All data will be recorded and entered into the dataset using coded identifiers only. Participants will be blinded to group allocation, and the statistician performing the data analysis will also be blinded to group assignments. The study will therefore be conducted using a double-blind design.
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Model Details: Participants are randomly assigned to one of three parallel groups: an acupressure intervention group, a sham acupressure (placebo) group, or a control group receiving routine care.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 11, 2026
• First Posted: January 21, 2026
• Study Start: January 24, 2026
• Primary Completion: April 24, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): October 27, 2026
• Last Updated: January 27, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-01

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)