Acupuncture Treatment for Diabetes
June 29th, 2009
In the United States, nearly 13 percent of adults age 20 and older have diabetes, but 40 percent of them have not been diagnosed, according to epidemiologists from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), whose new study includes recent data from an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT).
Diabetes is especially common in the elderly: Nearly one-third of those age 65 and older have the disease. An additional 30 percent of adults have pre-diabetes, a condition marked by elevated blood sugar that is not yet in the diabetic range. The researchers report these findings in a recent issue of Diabetes Care.
The study compared the results of two national surveys that included a fasting blood glucose (FBG) test and a 2-hour glucose reading from an OGTT. The OGTT gives more information about blood glucose abnormalities than the FBG test, which measures blood glucose after an overnight fast.
“We’re facing a diabetes epidemic that shows no signs of abating, judging from the number of individuals with pre-diabetes,” says Catherine Cowie, Ph.D., of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), a part of the NIH. “For years, diabetes prevalence estimates have been based mainly on data that included a fasting glucose test but not an OGTT. The 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, or NHANES, is the first national survey in 15 years to include the OGTT. The addition of the OGTT gives us greater confidence that we’re seeing the true burden of diabetes and pre-diabetes in a representative sample of the U.S. population.”
Type 2 diabetes accounts for up to 95 percent of all diabetes cases and virtually all cases of undiagnosed diabetes. A chronic progressive disease, type 2 diabetes has been associated with the increase in obesity and sedentary lifestyles.
“Of paramount importance is the need to curb the obesity epidemic, which is the main factor driving the rise in type 2 diabetes,” says Griffin P. Rodgers, M.D., director of the NIDDK.
Re-directing the trends in diabetes will require changing the nutritional and physical activity habits of people at risk, and also creative and substantial efforts by health systems and communities.
Acupuncture has been shown to be effective in alleviating diabetic symptoms and can easily be integrated into an individual’s overall diabetes management plan. Acupuncture has been found to increase insulin production, improve blood circulation, regulate blood sugar, and can help to treat obesity.
An acupuncture physician can also recommend beneficial lifestyle changes such as suggestions for a healthier diet, ways to increase physical activity and natural weight loss methods.
Acupuncture is a proven modality of traditional Chinese medicine, which has been used for thousands of years to restore, promote and maintain good health. Acupuncture treats the root cause of a condition and promotes long-term wellness, rather than just alleviating symptoms. Its health benefits are widely recognized.
For information about acupuncture for the treatment of diabetes call Dr. Richard Browne, Acupuncture Physician, at (305) 595-9500.
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