The effects of abdominal interferential current therapy on waist circumference and visceral fat distance in obese women.
Young-Han Park, Jung-Ho Lee
PMID 28932012WHAT IT FOUND
Obese women receiving abdominal interferential current therapy had larger reductions in waist size and ultrasound-measured visceral fat distance than women receiving TENS.
This was a small randomized comparison, not proof of lasting fat loss.
Key findings
01Abdominal interferential current therapy was associated with a larger reduction in waist circumference than TENS.
02Abdominal interferential current therapy was associated with a larger reduction in ultrasound-measured visceral fat length than TENS.
03Both groups showed statistically significant within-group reductions in waist circumference and visceral fat length.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Only 30 women were studied, and the authors state that the small number of subjects limits generalization. The treatment period was only 4 weeks, and the authors say long-term effects were not determined. The study compared interferential current with TENS, not with no electrical stimulation or usual care, so it cannot show that either treatment is better than doing nothing. The paper does not report blinding of participants, therapists, or assessors. Outcomes were limited to waist circumference and ultrasound visceral fat length; the paper does not report weight, metabolic disease risk, or adverse events.
Declared interests
No funding or conflict-of-interest declaration is reported in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that interferential current alone melts visceral fat. The control group also received electrical stimulation through TENS, and the paper did not follow participants long enough to show whether the waist and fat changes lasted.