Scientists have identified a new technique that eliminates stomach fat with the first randomised, controlled trial testing of carbon dioxide gas injections.
A report published in the Northwestern Medicine noted that the changes were modest and did not result in long-term fat reduction.
The lead author and the vice-chair of dermatology at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Dr. Murad Alam, said, “Carboxytherapy could potentially be a new and effective means of fat reduction. It still needs to be optimised. So, it is long lasting.”
The paper was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology described the new technique as a “safe, inexpensive gas, and injecting it into fat pockets may be preferred by patients who like natural treatments.”
According to sciencedaily.com, the current technologies routinely used for non-invasive fat reduction include cryolipolysis, high intensity ultrasound, radiofrequency, chemical adipocytolysis and laser-assisted fat reduction.
The new technique, known as Carboxytherapy, has been performed primarily outside the United States, with a few clinical studies suggesting that it may provide a lasting improvement in abdominal contours.
The study claimed that no randomised controlled trials for carboxytherapy efficacy and benefit over time had been previously conducted. The purpose of the study was to assess the effectiveness of carboxytherapy for fat reduction in a randomised, controlled trial and to determine if any observed benefits persisted for six months.
The study consisted of 16 adults who were not overweight and were randomised to get weekly carbon dioxide gas injections to one side of their abdomens and a sham treatment on the other side once a week for five weeks. A high-resolution ultrasound detected a reduction in superficial fat after five weeks, but not at 28 weeks. The patients’ body weight did not change over the course of the study.
“The fact that the difference was not maintained at six months suggests that the treatment stimulated a temporary metabolic process that reduced the size of fat cells without inducing cell death.
“If carboxytherapy can provide prolonged benefits, it offers patients yet another noninvasive option for fat reduction. But we don’t feel it’s ready for prime time,” Alam said.
Source: Punch
