Effect of electroacupuncture on glucose and lipid metabolism in type 2 diabetes

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a global pandemic with a significant negative impact on health-related quality of life. Worldwide, the prevalence of T2DM has almost doubled since 1980. Although multiple systematic reviews and clinical trials have suggested that electroacupuncture could be effective for T2DM treatment, whether it can improve glucose and lipid metabolism has not been systematically reviewed. Methods: We searched PubMed, Medline, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Chinese Scientific Journal Database, and Wan-Fang Database from the date of creation to December 2022. Language is limited to both Chinese and English languages. Clinical randomized controlled trials related to acupuncture for T2DM were included in this study. Fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin, lipid profile, and glycated hemoglobin levels were the primary outcomes. In addition, we manually retrieved other resources, including reference lists of identified publications, conference articles, and gray literature. Research selection, data extraction, and research quality assessments were independently completed by 2 researchers. Results: This study provides more options for clinicians and patients to treat obese patients with type 2 diabetes. Conclusion: In this study, we aimed to summarize and assess the effectiveness and safety of EA as a supplemental method to treat T2DM patients from clinical trials and provide more options for clinicians and patients to treat T2DM. Trial registration: This study was registered at INPLASY with registration number INPLASY202180008 (https://inplasy.com/inplasy-2021-8-0008/). Systematic review registration: INPLASY202180008.