Effect of Wet Cupping Versus Moderate Intensity Aerobic Exercise on Inflammatory Markers in Diabetic Patients

Among all pro-inflammatory biomarkers, TNF-α first recognized to be involved in the pathenogenesis of insulin resistance, and glucose-related abnormalities that link to T2DM. TNF-α plays a vital role in the overall pathophysiology of insulin resistance especially in males with greater body mass index as compared to that in the females This trial aims to investigate the effect of wet cupping therapy versus moderate intensity aerobic exercise on inflammatory markers in diabetic patients

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Diabetes
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: cupping session

Detailed Description

Cupping therapy is a traditional treatment used to create suction on the skin over a painful area or acupuncture point using a bamboo or glass cup. Aerobic exercise (also known as endurance activities, cardio, or cardio-respiratory exercise) is physical exercise of low to high intensity that depends primarily on the aerobic energy-generating process. Chronic inflammation, including elevated levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6), is associated with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease, as well as related diseases such as nonalcoholic hepatosteatosis. Amongst other triggers, elevated IL-6 levels may arise due to excess adipose tissue and can cause, for example, aberrant glucose metabolism leading to diabetes and other manifestations of the ensuing glucotoxicity in many tissues and organs, including the vasculature and other parts of the heart and the kidneys, as well as in the liver. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of wet cupping therapy versus moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on inflammatory markers in diabetic patients.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 60
• Phase: Not Applicable

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• had diabetes more than 10 years ago
• body mass index of 25 to 29.9 Kg/m2

Exclusion Criteria:

• Hepatic diseases, Cancer patients, Renal failure patients, Orthopedic problems or fractures of extremities, hypertensive patients, and Neurological problems

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Group (A); ) attended the program of walking on a treadmill machine for eight weeks according to the following parameters: -; Mode of exercise: aerobic exercise.; Intensity: according to heart rate (60-75% of maximum heart rate) MHR=220-age.; Heart rate: determined by the sensor of a treadmill.; Duration: 40-50 min per session. Each session consisted of 5-10 minutes of warming up exercise on a treadmill without increasing speed or intensity and the same for the cooling down phase
Other: Group (B); Each cupping session takes about 30-40 min and can be conducted in five steps. The first step includes primary suction. In this phase, the therapist allocates specific points or areas for cupping and disinfects the area, which located at the upper back (opposite to C7), Para spinal and below scapula. A cup with a suitable size is placed on the selected site and sucked the air inside the cup by manual suction. Then the cup was applied to the skin and left for a period of 3 to 5 min. The second step is about puncturing. Puncturing with a needle to get out of blood the third step is about suction and bloodletting. The cup is placed back on the skin using the similar procedure described above for 3 to 5 min. The fourth step includes the removal of the cup, followed by the fifth step which includes dressing the area after cleaning and disinfecting with FDA-approved skin disinfectant.	Procedure: cupping session; Each cupping session takes about 30-40 min and can be conducted in five steps. The first step includes primary suction. In this phase, the therapist allocates specific points or areas for cupping and disinfects the area, which located at the upper back (opposite to C7), Para spinal and below scapula. A cup with a suitable size is placed on the selected site and sucked the air inside the cup by manual suction. Then the cup was applied to the skin and left for a period of 3 to 5 min. The second step is about puncturing. Puncturing with a needle to get out of blood the third step is about suction and bloodletting. The cup is placed back on the skin using the similar procedure described above for 3 to 5 min. The fourth step includes the removal of the cup, followed by the fifth step which includes dressing the area after cleaning and disinfecting with FDA-approved skin disinfectant.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
interleukin 6 concentrations	Kits for blood sample to detect serum interleukin 6	6 months
blood sugar level mg/dl	blood sample to determine blood sugar level	6 months
tumor necrosis factor percent	kits to determine tumor necrosis factor alpha	6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Deraya University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 15, 2014
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 11, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): October 15, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 16, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 30, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): October 31, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 5, 2025
• Last Verified: February 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: diabetes, cupping, aerobic excercise
• Other Study ID Numbers: Physical Therapy 2024

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

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