Laser Acupuncture Added to Catgut Acupoint Embedding for Weight Loss in Adults With Obesity
Tests adding laser acupuncture to acupoint embedding in adults with obesity.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Acupoint Catgut Embedding With Laser Acupuncture for Weight Loss in Adults With Obesity
Key facts
- Where
- Taipei, TaiwanSee the site
Could this be for you?
Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.
- Are you between 20 and 65 years old?
Source: NCT07770893, who can take part
Where in Taiwan
- Taipei City Hospital, RENAI BranchTaipei, TaiwanNo longer taking part
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- Taipei City Hospital
- Trial code
- NCT07770893
- Record updated
- 18 August 2026
- Original description
Acupoint catgut embedding and laser acupuncture have each been studied as treatments for obesity in adults, but the two have not been evaluated in combination, and few trials have measured anthropometric, biochemical, and blood pressure outcomes together.Read full original descriptionShow less
Acupoint Embedding Combined With Laser Acupuncture for Obesity: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Sham Laser-Controlled Trial Evaluating Anthropometric, Biochemical, and Hemodynamic Outcomes
Acupoint catgut embedding and laser acupuncture have each been studied as treatments for obesity in adults, but the two have not been evaluated in combination, and few trials have measured anthropometric, biochemical, and blood pressure outcomes together.
This single-center randomized sham-controlled trial plans to enroll 120 adults aged 20 to 65 years with obesity. All participants receive the same acupoint catgut embedding with poliglecaprone 25 absorbable suture at 15 acupoints, comprising 25 insertions, once every 2 weeks for 6 sessions over 12 weeks. Participants are randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive, immediately before each embedding session, either active 810 nm laser acupuncture or sham laser acupuncture delivered with a device that is identical in appearance, indicator light, and operating sound but emits no therapeutic energy. Both groups also receive standardized dietary and exercise counseling.
Because the acupoint embedding regimen is identical in both groups and the groups differ only in whether the laser emits energy, the comparison estimates the incremental effect of laser acupuncture added to acupoint embedding. Participants are treated for 12 weeks and then followed for a further 12 weeks, to Week 24.
Inclusion: Age 20 to 65 years; Body mass index of 27 kg/m\^2 or greater, or body mass index of 24 kg/m\^2 or greater together with a waist circumference of 90 cm or greater in men or 80 cm or greater in women; Able to fully understand the informed consent document and willing to give written informed consent; No use of weight-loss medication and no other weight-reduction treatment in the 3 months before enrollment; Willing to follow the dietary and exercise advice given during the trial.
Exclusion: Current use of medication that may affect body weight, including corticosteroids, antipsychotics, insulin, or glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists; Bariatric surgery within the previous 6 months; Known secondary cause of obesity, such as hypothyroidism, Cushing syndrome, or pituitary disease; Known allergy to absorbable suture material; Skin infection at the embedding sites, keloid tendency, or coagulation disorder; Implanted cardiac pacemaker or other electromagnetic implant; Known photosensitivity disorder or current use of photosensitizing medication; Severe cardiovascular, hepatic, or renal disease, or poorly controlled diabetes defined as glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) above 9 percent; Currently pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning pregnancy within 6 months.