NCT07356024

Effect of Acupressure on Blood Glucose And Anxiety in Elderly With Diabetes

Effect of Acupressure on Blood Glucose And Anxiety in Elderly With Diabetes: A Three Arm, Parallel Group, Double Blind, A Randomized Controlled Trial

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 48 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Abant Izzet Baysal University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This study is designed to evaluate the effect of acupressure on blood glucose levels and anxiety in elderly individuals with diabetes. Participants will be assigned to an acupressure intervention group or a control group. The primary outcome of the study is blood glucose level, which will be assessed at baseline and at the end of the intervention period. Secondary outcomes include anxiety levels.

Detailed description

This study is a prospective, interventional, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial designed to evaluate the effect of acupressure on blood glucose levels and anxiety in elderly individuals with diabetes. Eligible participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: an acupressure intervention group, a sham acupressure (placebo) group, or a control group receiving routine care. Participants in the intervention group will receive acupressure applied to the HT7, SP6, and ST36 acupoints by a trained researcher. The intervention will be administered once daily for six sessions, with each session lasting approximately 15-20 minutes. The sham acupressure group will receive light pressure applied to non-acupoint areas near the same anatomical regions, while the control group will continue to receive routine clinical care without any additional intervention. The primary outcome of the study is blood glucose level, assessed using fasting and postprandial capillary blood glucose measurements at baseline and at predefined time points during the intervention period. Secondary outcomes include anxiety levels, measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Outcome assessments will be conducted by assessors blinded to group allocation. Prior to the main trial, a pilot study will be conducted to evaluate the feasibility of the intervention protocol and data collection procedures, and to estimate the effect size required for calculating the final sample size of the main study. Findings from the pilot study will be used to refine the intervention procedures and to determine the final sample size. Participants included in the pilot study will not be included in the main trial.

Conditions

• Diabetes Mellitus
• Acupressure

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Acupressure	The acupressure intervention will be conducted in a designated room at the institution, once daily for 6 consecutive days, with each session lasting 15-20 minutes, totaling 6 sessions. During the first 3-5 minutes of each session, participants will be guided to the appropriate position and approached to ensure comfort. Acupressure will then be applied to a total of six points: both wrists (HT7) and both legs (ST36, SP6), with two points on each limb. Each of the six points will receive a 30-second preparation followed by 2 minutes of acupressure application
OTHER	Placebo Sham Acupressure	Participants in the placebo group will receive sham acupressure administered by the researcher in a quiet, designated room at the institution, once daily for 6 consecutive days, with each session lasting 15-20 minutes, totaling 6 sessions. Pressure will be applied to bony areas approximately 1.5-2 cm away from the HT7, SP6, and ST36 points, where no meridians pass. Prior to the application, the sham points will be gently warmed and massaged for approximately 20 seconds to reduce tissue sensitivity, preparing the area for the sham acupressure procedure. In the intervention group, evaluation will be made at the specified frequency, using the same measurement tools and the same measurement methods.
OTHER	Routine care	Participants will receive routine clinical care only and no additional intervention.

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-01-24
• Primary completion: 2026-04-24
• Completion: 2026-10-27
• First posted: 2026-01-21
• Last updated: 2026-01-27

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Turkey (Türkiye)