Light acupuncture for people with prediabetes: experiences, benefits and safety

The recruitment and completion rate will be assessed via an observational sheet. This will be assessed as a composite outcome. The recruitment rate will be calculated by No. consented/eligible, while the completion rate will be assessed by No. completed/enrolled.;; The acceptability of the intervention (participants’ compliance and adherence; participants’ attitudes, motivation, and challenges to participation) will be assessed as a composite outcome. Participants’ compliance and adherence will be assessed by No. completed sessions/No. of sessions via an observational sheet. Participants’ attitudes, motivation, and challenges to participation, reasons for withdrawal, missed sessions, non-compliance with the intervention, and experiences during trial participation will be investigated via a study-specific online survey and a face to face conversation.;; The practicality of the intervention (3-monthly out of pocket cost (OOP) for the prediabetes therapies; past 3-month choice of non-drug therapy) will be investigated via a study-specific online survey. This will be assessed as a composite outcome.

As two million Australians have prediabetes and the medical expenditures are increasing, prediabetes management is a critical and challenging topic in our healthcare. People with prediabetes have a higher risk for serious health problems such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, loss of toes, feet, or legs. It is necessary to explore a holistic approach to prevent prediabetes from progressing to type 2 diabetes to mitigate the medical and economic burdens. By using laser light as an alternative to needles to stimulate acupuncture points, light acupuncture is a non-invasive, safer, pain-free, and non-infectious alternative to traditional acupuncture. It could be a promising add-on for prediabetes management. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility, short-term therapeutic effects, and safety of light acupuncture in prediabetes management in community settings in Western Australian (WA).