Association of Auricular Reflective Points and Status of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Matched Case-Control Study

Abstract

The reflexive property of the ear can cause various physical attributes to appear on the auricle in the presence of bodily disorders. The association of auricular signals (presence or absence of discoloration, marks after pressing, tenderness, and electrical resistance) and diabetes mellitus (DM) should be further investigated because auricular diagnosis is an objective, painless, and noninvasive method that provides rapid access to information. A matched case-control study on 282 subjects was conducted. Cases (n = 141) were defined as those diagnosed with type 2 DM (T2DM). Every subject in the case group was matched with the control by age and gender. Ear diagnosis was conducted in three aspects: inspection, electrical detection, and tenderness testing. Results suggest that the tenderness and electrical conductivity of some auricular points, including “pancreas and gallbladder,” “endocrine,” “kidney,” “lower tragus,” “heart,” and “eyes,” were associated with T2DM status in Chinese population. In the subgroup analyses, certain auricular signals were also associated with glycemic control, disease duration, and related complications. Auricular diagnosis could be considered as a screening method for vulnerable populations with T2DM risk. Thus, appropriate interventions can be implemented to prevent or delay the progression of T2DM.

Comparison of Magnetic Auriculotherapy, Laser Auriculotherapy and Their Combination for Treatment of Insomnia in the Elderly: A Double-Blinded Randomised Trial

“…Moreover, 20 cases (13.6%) reported tenderness on the acupoints, and most of these subjects received MAT. According to the auricular diagnosis system, the areas of the auricle with heightened tenderness upon touching correspond to specific areas of the body where pathological conditions exist [54, 55]. Applying magnetic pellets may induce physical pressure on the ear acupoints and cause tenderness, especially in cases with disequilibrium of bodily functions (e.g., insomnia) corresponding to specific acupoints.…”

Self-Administered Auricular Acupressure Integrated With a Smartphone App for Weight Reduction: Randomized Feasibility Trial

“…No specific adverse effects arising from the therapy were observed, except 2 participants who reported having mild skin irritation on the ears because of the adhesive tapes used for positioning the experimental objects in place. The most tender acupoint felt by the subjects was “stomach,” followed by “forehead,” “endocrine,” “external nose,” “shenmen,” and “large intestine.” According to the auricular diagnosis system, the areas of the auricle with heightened tenderness upon touching correspond to specific areas of the body where some pathological conditions exist [ 61 , 62 ]. Applying seeds may induce physical pressure on the ear acupoints and cause tenderness, especially in cases with disequilibrium of the bodily functions (in this case, overweight problem) corresponding to specific acupoints.…”

Association between Auricular Signals and the Risk Factors of Metabolic Syndrome

“…No ear cleaning should be done before testing. If the examination was conducted in cold weather, the person receiving the examination should rest for at least 10 min in room temperature before the procedure [12]. The inter-observer agreement between two researchers (LS and HFW) was recorded for 10 cases to assess the reliability of the auricular examinations, and a 92% agreement was achieved.…”

“…The presence of an ear lobe crease and ear hairs is significantly related to coronary heart disease [9,11]. In a case–control study conducted by Suen et al [12], the tenderness and electrical conductivity of some auricular points, including the ‘pancreas and gallbladder’, ‘endocrine’, ‘kidney’, ‘lower tragus’, ‘heart’, and ‘eyes’, were linked to T2DM in the Chinese population. Considering that auricular diagnosis is an objective, painless, and non-invasive method that has a pre-diagnostic value to facilitate screening, the association between auricular signals and MS was further investigated.…”