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Can acupuncture help PCOS-Related insulin resistance?

NCT ID NCT07806656

Disease control Sponsor: Peking University Third Hospital Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
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
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Sep 08, 2026 · Last updated Sep 09, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial tests whether acupuncture can improve insulin resistance in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The study includes two phases: first, a small group of 20 women receives active acupuncture plus lifestyle advice to check safety and feasibility. Then, a larger randomized phase compares active acupuncture with sham acupuncture, both combined with lifestyle management, to see if the real treatment makes a difference. Participants are women aged 20 to 40 with PCOS and a BMI between 24 and 40. The main measure is the change in insulin resistance after 12 weeks of treatment.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
Acupuncture (active or sham), given three times weekly for 12 weeks alongside lifestyle management
What this could lead to
If acupuncture improves insulin resistance in PCOS, it could offer a drug-free option to help manage the condition and lower related health risks.
What could go wrong
This is an early, two-phase study, and the first phase is small. Acupuncture may not outperform sham, and results may not apply to all women with PCOS.

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

About 204 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Aug 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Dec 2029

An estimate. End dates often move.

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

20 to 40 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: * Age 20 to 40 years * BMI ≥ 24 and \<40 * PCOS diagnosis according to Rotterdam criteria 2003 \[23\] with at least two of the following three symptoms: (1) infrequent ovulation or anovulation; (2) hyperandrogenism or clinical manifestations of high blood androgen; (3) ultrasound findings of polycystic ovaries in 1 or 2 ovaries, or ≥12 follicles measuring 2 to 9 mm in diameter, and/or ovarian volume ≥10 mL * Voluntarily participate in this research project and sign the informed consent form Exclusion Criteria: * Exclusion of other endocrine disorders such as androgen secreting tumors, suspected Cushing's syndrome and non-classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia, thyroid dysfunction and hyperprolactinemia * Type I diabetes or not well controlled type II diabetes * Pharmacological or acupuncture treatment within past 3 months * Pregnancy or breastfeeding in the last 6 months * Blood pressure \>160/100mmHg * Daily smoking and alcoholic intake * Mental problems * Language or mental disorders, or inability to understand the experimental content

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Insulin Resistance polycystic ovary syndrome

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Polycystic ovary syndrome

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Peking University third hospital

    Beijing, Beijing Municipality, 100191, China

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