Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40568559›Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in endocrinology2025

The effect of acupuncture on blood glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Yuqi Si, Jiayao Chen, Lizhu Chen, Yan Zheng, Yixuan Qiu, Beibei Wang, Yiwen Liang, Yubo Zhang, Yaling Chen

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in endocrinology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Yuqi SiSchool of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Jiayao ChenCollege of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Lizhu ChenSchool of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Yan ZhengSchool of Medical, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Yixuan QiuCollege of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Beibei WangSchool of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Yiwen LiangSchool of Medical, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Yubo ZhangSchool of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Yaling ChenSchool of Humanities and Management, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Purpose: This meta-analysis aimed to ascertain the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating clinical symptoms of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and to summarize the acupoints and meridians involved. Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang were thoroughly retrieved to acquire randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating acupuncture as an adjunct treatment for T2DM. Outcome measures focused on improvements in T2DM clinical symptoms. The meta-analysis was implemented leveraging RevMan 5.4 and Stata 15 software, with sensitivity and subgroup analyses to assess the stability of results and identify heterogeneity sources. Results: 21 RCTs encompassing 2,117 individuals with T2DM were analyzed. The results of 2-hour postprandial glucose (2h PG), body mass index (BMI), fasting blood glucose (FBG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), bilateral median nerve motor conduction velocity, and plasma viscosity were reliable. No publication bias was noted, except for Packed Cell Volume (PCV) and Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome Score Scale (TCMSS). The meta-analysis showed that acupuncture significantly improved clinical markers such as glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), 2h PG, FBG, and fasting serum insulin (FINS). Subgroup analysis for FBG, 2h PG, and triglycerides (TG) indicated that the primary source of heterogeneity for FBG was related to participants with uncomplicated T2DM and a treatment duration of less than three months. No significant heterogeneity was observed for 2h PG, while the TG data were unstable. Conclusion: Acupuncture can significantly alleviate the main clinical symptoms of T2DM, but significant heterogeneity was observed for individual indicators. Further investigation is needed to corroborate its precise therapeutic effectiveness and identify potential influencing factors. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42024602165, identifier CRD42024602165.

Indexed as

Acupuncture TherapyBlood GlucoseDiabetes Mellitus, Type 2Glycemic ControlHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicBlood Glucoseacupuncturemeta-analysissystematic reviewT2DMTraditional Chinese Medicine

Identifiers

PMID40568559
PMCPMC12187737

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.