ATLANTA – Low-level laser therapy produced a significant and durable reduction in upper arm circumference in a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled study of 62 patients.
An overall reduction in upper arm circumference of at least 1.25 cm was achieved in 58% of 31 patients randomized to receive three, 20-minute treatments each week for 2 weeks, compared with 3% of 31 patients randomized to receive sham treatments, Dr. Mark S. Nestor reported at the annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery.
Dr. Mark Nestor
The mean combined reductions in arm circumference were 2.0 cm after three treatments and 3.7 cm after six active treatments in the intervention group patients, compared with a gain of 0.1 cm and a reduction of 0.3 cm after 3 and 6 treatments, respectively, in the sham-treated control group, said Dr. Nestor, a dermatologist in private practice in Aventura, Fla.
The differences between the intervention and control group were statistically significant, he said.
The results were unchanged at the 2-week follow up. In 14 intervention group patients available for follow-up at 5-10 months post treatment, the decrease in upper arm circumference persisted at 3.25 cm, which was "essentially unchanged from the 4-week result," he noted.
The low-level laser therapy device used for this study (Zerona) consists of five independent diodes emitting 17 mW of red 635-nm laser light in overlapping patterns. A total of 3.94 J/cm2 of energy was delivered during each treatment.
The device has been cleared as a noninvasive body contouring therapy for reducing hip, waist, and thigh circumference, but potential effects of confounding variables when it comes to measuring results have created confusion about the extent of the effects, Dr. Nestor said.
For example, abdominal measures from one day to the next can easily be affected by diet and other factors, he explained.
Upper arm circumference provides a more objective measure.
"I think that this model for body contouring is really wonderful, because [with the upper arm] you don’t see a lot of change from exercise or diet in the short term," he said.
Subjects in this study, who agreed to abstain from changes in diet or exercise during the study period, were treated at one of three participating centers. Arm circumference was measured at three equidistant points between the elbow and shoulder.
There were no reports of pain or discomfort, and no adverse events occurred.
Patient satisfaction was high, Dr. Nestor said. More subjects in the treatment group than in the control group reported satisfaction with the results (65% vs. 22%), improved appearance (81% vs. 26%), and results that exceeded expectations (45% vs. 17%).
Dr. Nestor reported that he has served as a consultant for and received research funding from Erchonia, maker of the Zerona laser therapy device used in this study.