Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus by Acupuncture: Dynamics of Blood Glucose Level and Its Mathematical Modelling

Abstract

The aim of this research is to present the effects of acupuncture treatment on morning blood glucose level (BGL) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients, and to describe them by a predictive model. The morning BGL is measured after overnight fasting during a three-month long acupuncture treatment for two persons diagnosed with T2DM and is compared with the BGL of two persons in similar health conditions taking only metformin-based drugs. It is shown that the morning BGL is highly affected by each single acupuncture treatment and by the number of the already applied treatments. Significant lowering of BGL after each treatment is observed, as well as an overall BGL lowering effect, which is the result of the repeated acupuncture. The observed BGL reduction was found to be maintained during a follow-up performed a year after the acupuncture. The measured BGL dynamics curves are analyzed and described by a model. This model describes well all of the key features of the measured BGL dynamics and provides personal parameters that describe the BGL regulation. The model is used to simulate BGL regulation by acupuncture performed with different frequencies. It can be used generally to predict the effects of acupuncture on BGL and to optimize the time between two treatments. The results will enable a better understanding of acupuncture application in diabetes, and a prediction of its effects in diabetes treatment.