Mild Electrical Stimulation with Heat Shock Reduces Visceral Adiposity and Improves Metabolic Abnormalities in Subjects with Metabolic Syndrome or Type 2 Diabetes: Randomized Crossover Trials

AbstractBackgroundThe induction of heat shock protein (HSP) 72 by mild electrical stimulation with heat shock (MES+HS), which improves visceral adiposity and insulin resistance in mice, may be beneficial in treating metabolic syndrome (MS) or type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).MethodsUsing open-label crossover trials, 40 subjects with MS or T2DM were randomly assigned using computer-generated random numbers to 12weeks of therapeutic MES+HS followed by 12weeks of no treatment, or vice versa. During the intervention period, physical and biochemical markers were measured.FindingsCompared to no treatment, MES+HS treatment was associated with a significant decrease in visceral adiposity (−7.54cm2 (−8.61%), 95% CI −8.55 to −6.53 (p=0.037) in MS, −19.73cm2 (−10.89%), 95% CI −20.97 to −18.49 (p=0.003) in T2DM). Fasting plasma glucose levels were decreased by 3.74mg/dL (−5.28%: 95% CI −4.37 to −3.09mg/dL, p=0.029) in MS and by 14.97mg/dL (10.40%: 95% CI −15.79 to 14.15mg/dL, p