The Effect of Acupuncture on Sarcopenia and Obesity in Patients With Sarcopenic Obesity.

NCT07797140 | Active Not Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: ACHBİLKENTAUBAYKUT005
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 28
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Sarcopenia is defined by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) as "a syndrome characterized by progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength, carrying a risk of adverse outcomes such as physical disability, fractures, falls, impaired quality of life, and death. Obesity is classified according to the Body Mass Index (BMI), which is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by the square of height in meters. According to the World Health Organization and most current guidelines for Western societies, obesity is defined as a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m². Sarcopenic obesity was first defined by Baumgartner as the co-occurrence of sarcopenia and obesity, measured using DEXA (10). Sarcopenic obesity is defined as the co-occurrence of high adiposity and sarcopenia; a term originally coined to describe low skeletal muscle mass, strength, and physical function, initially diagnosed in the elderly but present across the entire age spectrum. Combining the effects of both sarcopenia and obesity, sarcopenic obesity has been found to be associated with lower quality of life and greater disability, morbidity, and mortality compared to obesity or sarcopenia alone. Acupuncture is derived from the Latin words for needle (acus) and piercing (punctura). In Western languages, it is written as acupuncture. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is believed that diseases are caused by disturbances in the flow of life energy (Qi) circulating in channels called meridians in the body. Acupuncture aims to correct this disrupted energy flow by inserting needles into specific points along the meridians in the body. Numerous studies have reported that acupuncture is widely used in the treatment of obesity. Current evidence-based reviews have shown that acupuncture is effective in treating obesity. It has been suggested that acupuncture is an effective treatment for simple obesity rather than a placebo effect. The literature contains many studies on acupuncture in the treatment of obesity. However, there are no studies on acupuncture in sarcopenic obesity. Our study aimed to determine the effect of acupuncture on sarcopenia and obesity in patients with sarcopenic obesity.

Conditions

Sarcopenic Obesity; Acupuncture Treatment; Exercise

Keywords

Sarcopenic Obesity; acupuncture; exercise; sarcopenia; obesity

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Appendicular skeletal muscle mass

  Body composition was assessed using a DEXA scanner (Lunar iDXA; GE Healthcare, 3030 Ohmeda Drive, Madison, WI 53718, USA). Participants' weight, muscle mass and lean mass values were recorded. ASM was calculated as the sum of the bone-free lean mass of the four limbs.

  baseline-Week 6-Week 12

• weight

  The weight was measured with a standardized weight scale.

  baseline-week 6-week 12

• body mass index

  BMI was calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared (kg/m²).

  baseline-week 6-week 12

Secondary Outcomes (6)

• hand grip strength

  baseline-week 6-week 12

• waist circumference and hip circumference measurement

  baseline-week 6-week 12

• Sit-Up and Stand-Up Test (from a Chair)

  baseline-week 6-week 12

• Walking speed of 4 meters

  baseline-week 6-week 12

• Sarcopenia Quality of Life Scale (SarQoL)

  baseline-week 6-week 12

Study Arms (2)

exercise+diet

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

This group will receive a total of 10 sessions per week, 2 days a week consisting of aerobic exercises, resistance exercises, posture and balance exercises, and breathing exercises, as well as a diet program targeting sarcopenic obesity.

Other: Diet and exercise

acupuncture+exercise+diet

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

The second group will receive acupuncture treatment in addition to diet and exercise. Acupuncture treatment will be administered twice a week for a total of 10 sessions, with each session lasting at least 20 minutes. The acupuncture points used in the treatment have been determined based on previous research and are as follows: body acupuncture points ST25, ST36, SP15, LI4, Ren12, Ren6, Ki3, GB34, SP3, SP6, Liv8, SJ-6, Du 20, Yin Tang, Tai Yin; ear acupuncture points are shenmen, large intestine, hunger, and mouth points.

Other: Acupuncture

Interventions

Diet and exercise OTHER

This group will receive a total of 10 sessions per week, 2 days a week consisting of aerobic exercises, resistance exercises, posture and balance exercises, and breathing exercises, as well as a diet program targeting sarcopenic obesity.

exercise+diet

Acupuncture OTHER

The second group will receive acupuncture treatment in addition to diet and exercise. Acupuncture treatment will be applied twice a week for a total of 10 sessions, with each session lasting at least 20 minutes. The acupuncture points the investigators will use in the treatment have been determined based on previous research and are as follows: body acupuncture points ST25, ST36, SP15, LI4, Ren12, Ren6, Ki3, GB34, SP3, SP6, Liv8, SJ-6, Du 20, Yin Tang, Tai Yin; ear acupuncture points are shenmen, large intestine, hunger, and mouth points.

acupuncture+exercise+diet

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 75 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Having the mental and physical capacity to adapt to the work process
• Being between 18-75 years of age
• Being able to ambulate independently or with support
• Having a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m2

You may not qualify if:

• Pregnancy
• Infection
• Pacemaker
• Peripheral circulatory disorder
• Known concomitant malignancy, end-stage organ failure
• Known concomitant central nervous system and/or peripheral nervous system disease
• History of genetic disease
• Coagulopathy
• Having received acupuncture within the last 6 months

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Ayşe Ukbe Baykut: lead
• Ankara Bilkent Sehir Hastanesi: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Ankara Bilkent City Hospital

Ankara, çankaya, 06800, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Motor Activity; Sarcopenia; Obesity

Interventions

Diet; Exercise; Acupuncture Therapy

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior; Muscular Atrophy; Neuromuscular Manifestations; Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Atrophy; Pathological Conditions, Anatomical; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Signs and Symptoms; Overweight; Overnutrition; Nutrition Disorders; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Body Weight

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Diet, Food, and Nutrition; Physiological Phenomena; Motor Activity; Movement; Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena; Complementary Therapies; Therapeutics

Study Officials

• Ayşe U Baykut, M.D

  Ankara City Hospital Bilkent

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: doctor

Model Details: This study was planned as a single-center, prospective, randomized controlled trial. Patients diagnosed with sarcopenic obesity according to WHO, FNIH, and EWGSOP2 guidelines will be included in the study.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 21, 2026
• First Posted: September 1, 2026
• Study Start: April 30, 2024
• Primary Completion: August 20, 2026
• Study Completion: September 25, 2026
• Last Updated: September 25, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)