English abstract
Objectives: Despite being recognized worldwide as an alternative therapy in treating
various chronic diseases and pain, the mechanism of wet cupping is still not well
understood. The purpose of this study was to evaluate fasting blood sugar (FBS), renal
function parameters, and endothelial function changes following wet cupping in healthy
individuals. Methods: We conducted a single-arm intervention study at the Clinical Lab
of Community Medicine, Universiti Sains Malaysia, and included 31 healthy individuals
aged between 30 and 60 years old. Wet cupping therapy was performed at five treatment
points at the beginning of the study and repeated after three months. Health outcomes
at baseline, one, three, and four months were assessed for FBS, renal function parameters
(urea, creatinine, and uric acid), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and von Willebrand
factor (vWF). Results: Forty-five percent of participants were female, and the mean
age of study participants was 44.9±6.4 years. Wet cupping therapy significantly reduced
FBS, serum urea, and serum creatinine at one, three, and four months compared with
baseline values. Serum uric acid and SBP showed a significant reduction at one and four
months compared with baseline. The vWF (a measure of endothelial function) had a
4.0% reduction at four months compared to baseline, with a mean difference of 5.3
(95% confidence interval (CI): 2.20 = 8.55; p = 0.002). Conclusions: This study provides
preliminary support that repeated wet cupping therapy enhances body health status; thus,
it could be an effective complementary medicine in disease prevention.
