Diabetes

ACUPUNCTURE USEFUL FOR OF DIABETIC BLADDER DYSFUNCTION
A Chinese pilot study suggests that acupuncture may be clinically useful in the treatment of diabetic bladder dysfunction (DBD). Thirty cases in an acupuncture group were compared with 15 cases in a sham acupuncture group. In the acupuncture group, five of six urodynamic measures demonstrated significant improvement over the 15-day treatment period. Only one measure significantly improved in the sham acupuncture group. There were significant differences after therapy in four measures (bladder compliance, maximal bladder capacity, bladder volume at desire to void, and urge to void) between the groups. In 25 subjects of the acupuncture group incontinence improved from 2.4 to 1.4, while in the sham acupuncture group incontinence deteriorated from 2.2 to 2.3. (Acupuncture in the treatment of diabetic bladder dysfunction. J Altern Complement Med. 2009 Aug;15(8):905-9).

ELECTROACUPUNCTURE FOR GASTROPARESIS IN DIABETIC PATIENTS
A randomised, single-blinded pilot study has demonstrated that electroacupuncture (EA) effectively reduces the dyspeptic symptoms of diabetic gastroparesis (delayed gastric emptying) and accelerates gastric emptying. Nineteen patients with type two diabetes who had had symptoms of gastroparesis for more than three months were randomised into two groups. Each group received four sessions of EA or sham EA at Zusanli ST-36 and Hegu L.I.-4 over two weeks. Gastric half-emptying was significantly shortened by EA treatment (143.8 minutes versus 98.8 minutes), but did not change (98.9 minutes versus 90.9 minutes) in the sham EA group. Symptom severity improved significantly both at the end of treatment and two weeks after the end of the trial when compared with baseline in the EA group, but did not change from baseline with sham EA. There were no significant changes in fasting and postprandial blood glucose, serum gastrin, motilin, and PP in either group. (Electroacupuncture in Diabetic Patients with Symptoms Suggestive of Gastroparesis. J Altern Complement Med. 2008 Aug 23.