Abstract

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS) has been demonstrated to be beneficial in glycemic control in animal models, but its application in humans has not been well studied. We randomly assigned 160 patients with type 2 diabetes on oral antidiabetic drugs 1:1 to the TENS study device (n = 81) and placebo (n = 79). 147 (92%) randomized participants (mean [SD] age 59 [10] years, 92 men [58%], mean [SD] baseline HbA1c level 8.1% [0.6%]) completed the trial. At week 20, HbA1c decreased from 8.1% to 7.9% in the TENS group (− 0.2% [95% CI − 0.4% to − 0.1%]) and from 8.1% to 7.8% in the placebo group (− 0.3% [95% CI − 0.5% to − 0.2%]) (P = 0.821). Glycemic variability, measured as mean amplitude of glycemic excursion (MAGE) at week 20 were significantly different in the TENS group vs. the placebo group (66 mg/dL [95% CI 58, 73] vs. 79 mg/dL [95% CI 72, 87]) (P = 0.009). Our study provides the clinical evidence for the first time in humans that TENS does not demonstrate a statistically significant HbA1c reduction. However, it is a safe complementary therapy to improve MAGE in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Details

Title
A randomized trial on the effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes
Author
Lu, Jin-Ying 1 ; Ou, Horng-Yih 2 ; Wu, Chung-Ze 3 ; Yang, Chwen-Yi 4 ; Jiang, Ju-Ying 5 ; Lu, Chieh-Hsiang 6 ; Jiang, Yi-Der 7 ; Chang, Tien-Jyun 7 ; Chang, Yi-Cheng 8 ; Hsieh, Meng-Lun 9 ; Wu, Wan-Chen 7 ; Li, Hung-Yuan 7 ; Du, Ye-Fong 2 ; Lin, Ching-Han 2 ; Hung, Hao-Chang 2 ; Tien, Kai-Jen 4 ; Yeh, Nai-Cheng 4 ; Lee, Shang-Yu 4 ; Yu, Hui-I. 10 ; Chuang, Lee-Ming 11 

 National Taiwan University Hospital, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan (GRID:grid.412094.a) (ISNI:0000 0004 0572 7815); National Taiwan University Hospital, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan (GRID:grid.412094.a) (ISNI:0000 0004 0572 7815) 
 National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan (GRID:grid.412040.3) (ISNI:0000 0004 0639 0054); National Cheng Kung University, College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan (GRID:grid.64523.36) (ISNI:0000 0004 0532 3255) 
 Taipei Medical University, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan (GRID:grid.412896.0) (ISNI:0000 0000 9337 0481); Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan (GRID:grid.412896.0) (ISNI:0000 0000 9337 0481) 
 Chi Mei Medical Center, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan (GRID:grid.413876.f) (ISNI:0000 0004 0572 9255) 
 Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan (GRID:grid.414746.4) (ISNI:0000 0004 0604 4784) 
 Ditmanson Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Chia-Yi City, Taiwan (GRID:grid.413878.1) (ISNI:0000 0004 0572 9327); Kaohsiung Christian Hospital, Lutheran Medical Foundation, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (GRID:grid.413878.1) 
 National Taiwan University Hospital, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan (GRID:grid.412094.a) (ISNI:0000 0004 0572 7815) 
 National Taiwan University Hospital, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan (GRID:grid.412094.a) (ISNI:0000 0004 0572 7815); National Taiwan University, Graduate Institute of Medical Genomics and Proteomics, Taipei, Taiwan (GRID:grid.19188.39) (ISNI:0000 0004 0546 0241); Academia Sinica, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan (GRID:grid.28665.3f) (ISNI:0000 0001 2287 1366) 
 National Taiwan University Hospital, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan (GRID:grid.412094.a) (ISNI:0000 0004 0572 7815); National Taiwan University, Graduate Institute of Medical Genomics and Proteomics, Taipei, Taiwan (GRID:grid.19188.39) (ISNI:0000 0004 0546 0241) 
10  Ditmanson Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Chia-Yi City, Taiwan (GRID:grid.413878.1) (ISNI:0000 0004 0572 9327) 
11  National Taiwan University Hospital, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan (GRID:grid.412094.a) (ISNI:0000 0004 0572 7815); National Taiwan University, Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan (GRID:grid.19188.39) (ISNI:0000 0004 0546 0241); Medical College, National Taiwan University, Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan (GRID:grid.19188.39) (ISNI:0000 0004 0546 0241) 
Pages
2662
Publication year
2023
Publication date
2023
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2776897518
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2023. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.