Influence of Emotional Factors on the Efficacy of Acupuncture Treatment for Overweight Complicated with Hyperlipidemia: A Retrospective Cohort Study

This retrospective study assessed the impact of emotional factors on acupuncture efficacy in patients with overweight and hyperlipidemia, to guide the development of a more comprehensive and personalized treatment protocol. Using standardized acupuncture procedures, we analyzed data from 1,128 patients, categorizing them into groups with or without emotional abnormalities based on Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA) scores (cutoff ≥14). After 1:1 propensity score matching, 436 patients were included, with comparable baseline characteristics (all P > 0.05). Both groups showed significant improvements in primary outcomes, including body weight, BMI, obesity degree, total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-C, and LDL-C after treatment (P < 0.05). However, the group with emotional abnormalities exhibited less pronounced improvements in body weight, BMI, obesity degree, total cholesterol, and triglycerides compared to the normal emotion group (P < 0.05). These findings indicate that while acupuncture significantly improves clinical outcomes in these patients, emotional abnormalities reduce its therapeutic efficacy. Future acupuncture protocols for the overweight should incorporate emotional factors to optimize treatment outcomes.