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Can tiny threads in acupuncture points curb obesity?

NCT ID NCT06316310

Disease control Sponsor: Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Aug 24, 2026 · Last updated Aug 25, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial investigates whether acupoint thread embedding, a traditional Chinese medicine technique where fine threads are placed under the skin at specific points, can help overweight and obese women lose weight. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either the real treatment or a sham version to compare effects. The study tracks changes in body mass index (BMI) and body weight over time to see if this approach is both effective and safe.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
acupoint thread embedding
What this could lead to
If effective, this could offer a minimally invasive, drug-free option for weight management in overweight and obese individuals.
What could go wrong
This is an early-stage trial with a modest sample size, and the sham-controlled design means the real effect may be small or partly due to placebo. Risks include discomfort or infection at the insertion sites.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

132 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Mar 2024

Finished

Apr 2025

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 45 years

Sex

Female participants only

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Females aged 18\~45 years old; * BMI≥24.0 kg/m2； * WC≥80cm ; recommended BMI and WC threshold value to define overweight in China; * Stable weight change (increase or decrease of ≤4 kg) within 3 months prior to the start of the test; * Agree to participate in the trial and sign a written informed consent form; Exclusion Criteria: * Secondary obesity caused by drugs, or neuro-endocrine-metabolic disorders (such as thalamic disease, hypopituitarism, etc.); * History of bariatric surgery (gastric reduction, liposuction, etc.); * Are taking medications that may affect the results of the trial (weight): * Severe ulcers, abscesses, skin infections, etc. at the acupuncture site; * Severe heart, brain, lung, liver and kidney insufficiency, hematopoietic system disease or other serious diseases; * Participated in other clinical medical trial studies in the past 1 month; * History of acupoint thread embedding in the past 6 months; * Alcoholism, drug abuse, or smoking (change in smoking habits within the past 2 months or a plan to quit smoking during the study period); * Pregnant and lactating women.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Obesity obesity disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Obesity

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine

    Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, 200071, China

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