Daily News
Study participants wanted: Acupuncture for PCOS clinical trial
From: Carolyn Ee
Valid from: Thursday 6 February 2020 to Wednesday 4 March 2020
Researchers at NICM Health Research Institute are conducting a three month feasibility study to investigate acupuncture and ear acupuncture stimulation as possible weight loss treatments, together with telephone-delivered health coaching for women diagnosed with PCOS.
Recuritment for this study is now underway.
Who can join?
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* Women aged 18-45 years.
Women who:
* Are diagnosed with PCOS by a medical doctor.
* Have a Body Mass Index (BMI) between 25 and 40.
* Are not planning on falling pregnant within the next three months, and not pregnant in the past six weeks.
* Are not on any medication for PCOS (including the oral contraceptive pill).
What's involved?
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* Telephone interview to confirm PCOS diagnosis.
Before and after the three month treatment:
* Attend two clinic visits at Western Sydney University, Campbelltown campus and have weight, height, waist measurement, blood pressure and heart rate recorded.
* Complete surveys about your health.
* Have blood taken, including a two-hour oral glucose tolerance test.
* Wear an accelerometer (pedometer worn at the waist). Register and complete the GetHealthy program (free telephone-based health coaching).
Participants will be randomly allocated into a treatment group-body acupuncture, ear acupuncture or the GetHealthy program only.
Over the three month study:
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* Body acupuncture participants will attend 11 acupuncture treatments.
* Ear acupuncture participants will attend six acupuncture treatments and wear an ear acupuncture stimulation device for up to 96 hours after each acupuncture treatment.
What are the benefits of participating?
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* Participants health will be monitored for the 12-weeks, including glucose, insulin and hormone levels, and heart rate variability.
* If allocated to the acupuncture or ear acupuncture groups, participants will receive this treatment for free.
* Participants will be reimbursed up to $40 in total for travel costs to the study clinic.
* The benefits to the broader community will not be realised for some time yet, but if acupuncture is shown to be effective for weight loss, it could be a valuable additional treatment because it is readily available in the community and is a generally low-risk treatment.
To submit your interest in this study, please complete the online survey at https://surveyswesternsydney.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8vmS5IQOad33o1v
For more information contact:
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Adele Cave
Clinical Trial Officer
p: +61 487 472 273
e: a.cave@westernsydney.edu.au
Dr Carolyn Ee
Clinical Trial Chief Investigator
p: +61 49 043 5100
e: c.ee@westernsydney.edu.au