Auricular Acupuncture in the Treatment of Obesity (AcupObesity)

June 17, 2024 updated by: Paul Crawford, Mike O'Callaghan Military Hospital

Auricular Acupuncture in the Treatment of Obesity: a Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Trial

Male and female DoD beneficiaries ages 18 years or older, who are referred for a standard of care weight loss intervention for treatment of obesity will be recruited. Subjects will be randomized into one of two groups receiving either a standard of care weight loss intervention plus auricular acupuncture at Shen Men, Point Zero, and Appetite Control Point/Hunger Point or receiving a standard of care weight loss intervention plus sham auricular acupuncture. Subjects will receive treatment in accordance with their randomization group for 12 weeks then have one additional follow up visit at week 24. The following measures will be obtained: height, weight, waist circumference, and Body Mass Index will be calculated.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Screening Visit:

Obtain signed Informed Consent document and HIPAA Authorization. Review past medical history in Armed Forces Health Longitudinal Technology Application (AHLTA) to verify the inclusion/exclusion criteria and to verify the inclusion/exclusion criteria including previous encounter, vital signs review, medication list, co-morbidities, demographics, problems list, and note any prior acupuncture received.

Record: Date of birth, age, gender, race, ethnicity, last 4 of social security number, name of standard of care weight loss intervention, current email address, height (in inches), weight (in pounds), waist circumference (in inches) measurement, previous bariatric surgery, and body mass index calculated.

Visit 1-Week 1: (1st week of standard of care weight intervention)

Subjects will be randomized into 1 of 2 groups and treated:

  • Group 1: Standard of care weight loss intervention plus auricular acupuncture at Shen Men, Point Zero, and Appetite Control Point/Hunger Point in each ear. The 3 needles will remain in each ear for 15 minutes.
  • Group 2: Standard of care weight loss intervention plus sham acupuncture at three nonacupoints in each ear. The 3 needles will remain in each ear for 15 minutes.

All subjects, regardless of randomization group, will be instructed to have no heavy meals, no excessive hot or cold foods, no heavy exercise or intercourse, and no alcohol for 24 hours after this visit.

Visit 2-12 (Week 2-12 of standard of care weight intervention):

Subjects will be given treatment according to their randomization group. The acupuncture needles will be applied and remain in each ear for 15 minutes.

Record: weight, waist circumference measurement, and document compliance for standard of care weight loss intervention (i.e. attendance and measurements from class).

All subjects, regardless of randomization group, will be instructed to have no heavy meals, no excessive hot or cold foods, no heavy exercise or intercourse, and no alcohol for 24 hours after this visit.

Visit 13 (Week 24/12 weeks post visit 12):

Record: weight, and waist circumference measurement.

Subjects will be asked the following questions:

  • Do you follow a regular routine of physical exercise? Yes/No *If yes, what type of exercise (mark all that apply):
  • Aerobic (cardiovascular endurance, e.g. cycling, swimming, walking, hiking)
  • Anaerobic (strength or resistance, e.g. weight lifting, sprinting, interval training)

  • Flexibility (stretching, e.g. yoga, pilates, gymnastics) On average, how many times per week do you exercise?

    • 0-1
    • 2-4
    • 5+ How many minutes on average is each exercise session?
    • 10-20
    • 20-30
    • 30-60
    • 60 At what level of intensity?
    • Light
    • Moderate
    • Heavy How would you rate the "health" of your eating habits?
    • Poor
    • Fair
    • Average
    • Good
    • Excellent

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
82

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Nevada
      • Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, 89191
        • Mike O'Callaghan Federal Hospital/Nellis Air Force Base

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

THIS STUDY IS BEING CONDUCTED AT A MILITARY INSTALLATION. YOU MUST HAVE MILITARY INSURANCE IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS STUDY.

Inclusion:

Male and female DoD beneficiaries, aged 18 years or older, with a Body Mass Index of 30 or greater who were referred to a standard of care weight loss intervention

Exclusion:

Pregnant women Patients who are taking weight loss medication Uncontrolled hypothyroidism Absence of their ear Active cellulitis of their ear Ear anatomy precluding identification of acupuncture landmarks and use of hearing aids that preclude the insertion of needles

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Group 1
Group 1: Standard of care weight loss intervention plus auricular acupuncture at Shen Men, Point Zero, and Appetite Control Point/Hunger Point in each ear.
Other: Auricular Acupuncture
Standard of care weight loss intervention plus auricular acupuncture at Shen Men, Point Zero, and Appetite Control Point/Hunger Point in each ear.
Other Names:
  • acupuncture
Sham Comparator: Group 2
Group 2: Standard of care weight loss intervention plus sham acupuncture at three nonacupoints in each ear.
Other: Sham Acupuncture
Standard of care weight loss intervention plus sham acupuncture at three nonacupoints in each ear.
Other Names:
  • sham

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Weight Change
Time Frame: baseline to week 24 (12 wks post visit 12)
As assessed by weight in pounds. Weight change between baseline and week 24. Positive number equals pounds lost.
baseline to week 24 (12 wks post visit 12)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Mike O'Callaghan Military Hospital

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Clinton Borchardt, MD, Mike O'Callaghan Federal Medical Center

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
February 1, 2015

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 1, 2016

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 1, 2016

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
October 14, 2014

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 20, 2014

First Posted (Estimated)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
October 21, 2014

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
August 6, 2024

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 17, 2024

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
June 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • FWH20140089H

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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