NCT07437001

Effect of Electroacupuncture on Central Obesity and Fatty Liver in Postmenopausal Women

Effect of Electroacupuncture on Central Obesity and Fatty Liver in Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 60 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Cairo University · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 50 Years – 60 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The aim of this study is to determine the effect of electroacupuncture on central obesity and fatty liver in postmenopausal women.

Detailed description

Post menopause is the time after you've been without a menstrual period for 12 months. It lasts for the rest of your life. During this stage, menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, get milder or go away. Electro-acupuncture has a major advantage that it's the margin of error in needle placement for electro-acupuncture is greater than for manual therapy and therefore a less accurate placement is required, as the current spreads and may reach a nerve several millimeters away. In electro-acupuncture, the therapist inserts the acupuncture needles in acupuncture points and electric current is connected to the body through the acupuncture needles. Electro-acupuncture treatment helps in decreasing blood lipids in patients with fatty liver disease and plays a significant role in improving the immunity system in patients with hepatitis in addition to improving their clinical symptoms. Previous clinical studies in China indicated that electro-acupuncture able to decrease total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoproteins (LDL), and elevate high-density lipoproteins (HDL) in patients suffering from dyslipidemia.

Conditions

• Postmenopausal Women

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	Medical treatment	All women in both groups will adhere to the same medication (orlistat) as prescribed by the gynecologist for 12 weeks.
OTHER	Hypocaloric diet	All women in both groups will be instructed to follow the same hypocaloric diet, as prescribed by a certified nutrition specialist, with a daily caloric intake of 1,200 kcal for a duration of 12 weeks.
OTHER	Electroacupuncture	Women in the experimental group only will undergo electroacupuncture three times per week for 12 weeks. Treatment will be delivered in the supine position using sterile needles inserted at eight standardized acupoints associated with central obesity and weight regulation, with insertion depths of 10-25 mm. Low-frequency electrical stimulation (2 Hz, 0.5 ms) will be applied to the abdominal region for 30 minutes per session.

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-03-01
• Primary completion: 2026-06-01
• Completion: 2026-06-15
• First posted: 2026-02-27
• Last updated: 2026-02-27

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Egypt