Catgut Acupuncture for Weight Loss: A Preliminary Systematic Review of Randomised Controlled Trials

Background: The prevalence of obesity has been increasing globally due to an increasingly sed-entary lifestyle and dietary changes. The shift in daily habits has been linked to an increased risk of developing conditions such as overweight, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Acupuncture, a non-pharmacological treatment from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), has been gaining global attention. Catgut acupuncture, a form of acupuncture point embedding, in-volves implanting surgical threads into specific acupoints for continuous stimulation. This re-view aims to examine the efficacy of catgut acupuncture for weight loss.Methods: A systematic search for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) was performed using the databases PubMed, EuropePMC, and SciELO. The search terms included "(catgut acupuncture) OR (catgut embedding) AND (weight loss) OR (obesity) AND ("randomized controlled trial")". Stud-ies were included if they involved human participants with a diagnosis of overweight or obesity and were published in English, Chinese, Spanish, French, or Portuguese. They also needed to report on anthropometric and morphological outcomes such as BMI, body fat percentage, and weight.Results: The search identified 195 records, of which 10 studies were included in the final review, with a total of 963 patients analysed. Study durations ranged from 6 to 24 weeks, with fol-low-ups of up to 24 weeks. The studies focused on various populations, including perimenopau-sal women, patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, and obese adults. Catgut acupuncture was used as a single intervention or combined with other treatments like dietary intervention, exer-cise education, or Chinese herbal medicine. The results consistently showed a positive effect on weight loss and obesity-related health markers, with active treatment groups demonstrating more pronounced improvements compared to control or sham groups. Catgut acupuncture was particularly effective in reducing weight, BMI, and waist circumference. Some studies also found that the treatment regulated biochemical pathways and improved metabolic markers such as triglycerides, HDL, insulin, and HOMA-IR levels. The beneficial effects, including reductions in body weight and BMI, were maintained during follow-up periods of up to 24 weeks, suggesting long-term effectiveness.Conclusion: Based on the reviewed RCTs, catgut acupuncture shows promise as a therapeutic option for managing obesity. The findings indicate that it not only aids in weight loss but also addresses underlying metabolic dysfunctions. However, the heterogeneity of the included stud-ies, small sample sizes, and a lack of detailed analysis of safety aspects highlight the need for further high-quality research to establish its efficacy and support its integration into clinical practice.