Effect of acupuncture on asthma control and body weight changes in obese patients with asthma
Zhihong Shi1, Qing Quan2, Xiaohong Bai3
1Mongolian Medical Department, Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China.
Background:
Chronic persistent asthma is difficult to control and is often comorbid with obesity. Acupuncture has been shown to reduce airway inflammation and improve lung function, and it may also help regulate body weight to some extent. Currently, obesity combined with chronic persistent asthma is a research hotspot, but interventional studies involving acupuncture remain relatively limited. This study aims to fill this gap.
Methods:
Patients were divided into a control group (conventional western medical treatment) and a treatment group (conventional western medical treatment plus acupuncture). Baseline characteristics between the two groups were compared using univariate analysis. Changes before and after treatment were assessed for pulmonary function indicators (PEF, FEV1, FEV1/FVC), Asthma Control Test (ACT) scores, Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) scores, serum inflammatory markers (IL-17, CRP), and BMI. Multivariate logistic regression and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the effects of treatment modality on asthma control and body weight changes. A response model was constructed to predict asthma control outcomes, and its performance was evaluated using the ROC curve. Further stratified analyses were performed to assess the predictive ability of the model in different subgroups.
Results:
After treatment, the treatment group showed improvements in pulmonary function, asthma control, quality of life, inflammatory markers, and BMI. Treatment modality was independently associated with asthma control and weight changes. Asthma severity, comorbidities, baseline FEV1, and baseline CRP levels were also associated with asthma control. The response model demonstrated moderate discriminative ability (AUC = 0.656), with stronger effects observed in patients aged ≥50 years, males, and those without acute exacerbations in the past year.
Conclusion:
This study provides a new intervention strategy and supporting evidence for individualized treatment in obese patients with chronic persistent asthma.
