ABSTRACT
Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of cupping in intervening non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and further explore the possible mechanism. Method Fifty NAFLD patients were randomized into two groups: a treatment group (25 cases, intervened by cupping, Chinese medication, diet control and kinesiotherapy) and a control group (25 cases, intervened by Chinese medication, diet control and kinesiotherapy). They were observed for 6 months. Body weight, body mass index (BMI), abdomen circumference, hip circumference, arm circumference, thigh circumference, blood lipids [including total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG)], hepatic enzymes [including aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT)], and B-scan ultrasound of liver were recorded before and after the treatment for statistical analysis. Result After 6-month treatment, the body weight, BMI, abdomen circumference, hip circumference, arm circumference, and thigh circumference were significantly improved in the two groups (P<0.05); some patients had their TC, TG, AST and ALT levels descended to the normal range and B-scan ultrasound of liver turned negative; the reduction of abdomen circumference in the treatment group was more significant than that in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion Cupping plus Chinese medication, diet control and exercises can effectively improve clinical observation indexes of NAFLD, especially for those with central obesity.