Effects of Auricular Acupressure Versus Intermittent Dietary Restriction in Children With Gastric Heat and Dampness Obstruction

Effects of Auricular Acupressure Versus Intermittent Dietary Restriction in Children With Gastric Heat and Dampness Obstruction

Effects of Auricular Acupressure Versus Intermittent Dietary Restriction in Children With Gastric Heat and Dampness Obstruction: a Randomized Controlled Trial

This is a three-month randomized controlled trial to investigate the effects of auricular acupressure versus Intermittent carbohydrate restriction on cardiometabolic risk in obese children with gastric heat and dampness obstruction.

Obesity in childhood is associated with multiple cardiometabolic risk factors including hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia and hypertension, which predicts increased risk for developing obesity-driven complications in adulthood. Auricular acupuncture therapy is an intervention with purported success for the treatment of obesity. However, traditional intervention rarely has long-term success in children and adolescents. Low-carbohydrate diets have also been shown to reduce body weight and improve insulin sensitivity in children. This is a three-month randomized controlled trial in children with gastric damp-heat obstruction, in order to explore the effects of traditional Chinese medicine auricular acupressure and intermittent carbohydrate restriction on cardiovascular metabolic health.

The participants will be randomly assigned to receive the auricular point patch therapy. The intervention period is 3 months.

The participants will be randomly assigned to receive the intermittent low carbohydrate diet. The duration of the study is 3 months, including 1-month intervention period and 2-month self maintenance period.

The participants will be randomly assigned to receive the auricular point patch therapy. The selected acupoints include Shenmen, hungry point, endocrine, stomach, mouth and subcortical. The opaque patch with vaccaria seed is used for acupoint pressing. Pressing the acupoints once a day before and after eating, each time for 1 minute, lasting for 2-3 days, follow up visit once a week. The intervention period is 3 months.

The participants will be randomly assigned to the intermittent low carbohydrate diet group. The intermittent carbohydrate diet includes 7 days of low carbohydrate diet within 2 weeks (consecutive or nonconsecutive, carbohydrate intake be controlled as ≤ 50g per day). The study duration is 3 months, including 1-month intervention period and 2-month self-maintenance period.

Health education is conducted once a week during 3-month intervention for all participants. Health education including the understanding of childhood obesity and cardiovascular disease, how to determine the cardiometabolic risk level, and the lifestyle intervention as caloric restriction and increased physical activity to promote health.

The body weight will be measured by fixed research staff at baseline and one month after intervention.

The investigators will measure the change in scores of chinese medicine symptoms according to the Traditional Chinese Medicine Guideline Scale: 0 - 3. 0 = None. 1 = Mild. 2 = Moderate. 3= Severe

Serum from fasting blood sample is used for measurement of insulin at baseline and one month after intervention.

Inclusion Criteria: Have at least one of the following cardiometabolic risk factors: overweight or obesity, prediabetes, dyslipidemia or elevated blood pressure. Traditional Chinese medical syndrome type is gastric heat and dampness obstruction syndrome. Exclusion Criteria: Diagnosis of obesity associated with genetic or endocrine diseases, including hypercortisolism, polycystic ovary syndrome, primary hypothyroidism and hypothalamic obesity. Participating in other clinical trials or have participated in other clinical trials in recent 3 months. Diagnosis of organic diseases, including heart, liver, kidney and brain or infectious diseases and mental diseases.