減肥新招：注射二氧化碳

The first randomized, controlled trial testing carbon dioxide gas injections (carboxytherapy) to reduce belly fat found the new technique eliminates fat around the stomach. However, the changes were modest and did not result in long-term fat reduction, according to the Northwestern Medicine study.

這是第一個檢測二氧化碳氣體注射(羧酸療法)是否能減少腹部脂肪的隨機對照試驗。他們發(fā)現(xiàn)，這項新技術可以消除胃部周圍的脂肪。然而根據(jù)美國西北大學醫(yī)學院的研究，這種改變是有限度的，它并不能維持此狀態(tài)很久。

"Carboxytherapy could potentially be a new and effective means of fat reduction," said lead author Dr. Murad Alam, vice chair of dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a Northwestern Medicine physician. "It still needs to be optimized, though, so it's long lasting."The paper was published this week in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Murad Alam博士是美國西北大學費恩伯格醫(yī)學院皮膚病學副主任，他說：“羧酸療法有可能成為一種新的、有效的減肥法，但是還需要改進，這樣它的效果就得以維持了。”這篇論文已發(fā)表在本周的《美國皮膚病學會雜志》上。

The new technique's benefits are that it is a "safe, inexpensive gas, and injecting it into fat pockets may be preferred by patients who like natural treatments," Alam said. "Non-invasive fat reduction has become increasingly sought-after by patients."

這項新技術的好處在于，它是一種“安全、廉價的氣體。將其注入到脂肪中，可能是喜歡自然療法的病人的首選。” “非侵入性減少脂肪已經(jīng)受到越來越多病人的歡迎。”

Benefits of a non-invasive approach are diminished downtime, avoidance of scarring and perceived safety.

非侵入性方法的好處是減少了手術的間隔時間，避免留疤，安全性也很高。

Current technologies routinely used for non-invasive fat reduction include cryolipolysis, high intensity ultrasound, radiofrequency, chemical adipocytolysis and laser-assisted fat reduction.Carboxytherapy has been performed primarily outside the U.S., with a few clinical studies suggesting it may provide a lasting improvement in abdominal contours. The way carboxytherapy works is not well understood. It is believed that injection of carbon dioxide causes changes in the microcirculation, and damages fat cells.

時下非侵入性減脂的技術主要包括低溫息肉、高強度超聲、射頻、化學脂肪分解和激光輔助。羧酸療法主要是在美國以外的地方進行的。一些臨床研究表明，它可以持久改善腹部輪廓。 雖然目前對羧酸療法的作用機理還不是很了解，但人們認為，注入二氧化碳會引起微循環(huán)的變化，進而損傷脂肪細胞。

No randomized controlled trials for carboxytherapy efficacy and benefit over time have been previously conducted. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of carboxytherapy for fat reduction in a randomized, controlled trial, and to determine if any observed benefits persisted for six months.

在此次實驗之前，還沒有人研究過羧酸療法的后續(xù)作用。而這項研究，是在隨機對照試驗中評估羧酸療法減少脂肪的有效性，并想確定，效果究竟能否維持長達六個月。

The Northwestern study consisted of 16 adults who were not overweight (body mass of 22 to 29) and were randomized to get weekly carbon dioxide gas injection 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.

西北大學的研究共有16名成年人參與，就體重而言，他們并沒有超重(BMI在22~29屬于超重)。實驗隨機注射二氧化碳在他們腹部的某一側，另一側做類似處理但并不注射二氧化碳。每周一次，持續(xù)五周。據(jù)高分辨率的超聲波的反饋，5周后發(fā)現(xiàn)表面脂肪減少，但在28周時此現(xiàn)象就消失了。 此外，參與者體重在研究過程中沒有發(fā)生變化。

That the difference was not maintained at six months suggests the treatment stimulated a temporary metabolic process that reduced the size of fat cells without inducing cell death, Alam said."If carboxytherapy can provide prolonged benefits, it offers patients yet another noninvasive option for fat reduction," Alam said. "But we don't feel it's ready for prime time."

Alam表示，結果沒有維持六個月。這表明這種治療刺激了某種暫時代謝，而這種代謝可以減小脂肪細胞的體積，而不會導致細胞死亡。“如果羧酸療法能一勞永逸，那么它無疑為病人提供了另一種無創(chuàng)減肥的選擇。但我們覺得目前還不是這個時候。”