Huerta-Franco MR. Letter to the Editor: High-frequency abdominal vibration in prediabetes - psychophysiological insights into mental health and glycemic control. World J Psychiatry 2026; 16(8): 113910 [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.113910]
Corresponding Author of This Article
María-Raquel Huerta-Franco, MD, PhD, Professor, Division of Health Sciences, Department of Applied Sciences to Work, University of Guanajuato, Boulevard Puente Milenio 1001, Colonia San Carlos, León de los Aldama 37670, Guanajuato, Mexico. mrhuertafranco@ugto.mx
Research Domain of This Article
Psychology, Clinical
Article-Type of This Article
letter
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA
Share the Article
Huerta-Franco MR. Letter to the Editor: High-frequency abdominal vibration in prediabetes - psychophysiological insights into mental health and glycemic control. World J Psychiatry 2026; 16(8): 113910 [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.113910]
World J Psychiatry. Aug 19, 2026; 16(8): 113910 Published online Aug 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.113910
Letter to the Editor: High-frequency abdominal vibration in prediabetes - psychophysiological insights into mental health and glycemic control
María-Raquel Huerta-Franco
María-Raquel Huerta-Franco, Division of Health Sciences, Department of Applied Sciences to Work, University of Guanajuato, León de los Aldama 37670, Guanajuato, Mexico
Author contributions: Huerta-Franco MR is the sole author of this work and conceived the topic, performed the literature review, analyzed and interpreted the relevant information, drafted the letter to the editor, critically revised the content, approved the final version of the manuscript, and is accountable for all aspects of the work.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The author reports no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: María-Raquel Huerta-Franco, MD, PhD, Professor, Division of Health Sciences, Department of Applied Sciences to Work, University of Guanajuato, Boulevard Puente Milenio 1001, Colonia San Carlos, León de los Aldama 37670, Guanajuato, Mexico. mrhuertafranco@ugto.mx
Received: September 9, 2025 Revised: December 4, 2025 Accepted: January 26, 2026 Published online: August 19, 2026 Processing time: 318 Days and 6.6 Hours
Abstract
Prediabetes is simultaneously a metabolic and psychological challenge because depression, anxiety, and stress worsen insulin resistance. Globally, prediabetes affects about 10% of adults and exceeds 30% in middle-aged and older populations, representing a significant public health concern. Current lifestyle and pharmacological interventions often show limited long-term adherence and efficacy, emphasizing the need for complementary mind-body approaches. The study by Liu et al, published in the recent issue of the World Journal of Psychiatry, applied a standardized abdominal Tuina vibration protocol using frequencies of 400-600 cycles per minute (approximately 6.7-10 Hz), with the highest frequency producing the most notable improvements in depression, anxiety, stress, and insulin resistance. Their findings support a dose-response relationship that may involve mechanisms related to improved microvascular perfusion, vagal activation, reduced hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity, and the modulation of inflammatory and adipokine signaling, although these pathways were not directly assessed in the study. These effects converge on mood stabilization and glucose regulation. High-frequency abdominal Tuina vibration is noninvasive, inexpensive, and may provide dual psychological and metabolic benefits in adults with prediabetes.
Core Tip: The study by Liu et al demonstrated high-frequency abdominal Tuina vibration at the Shenque acupoint significantly improves psychological symptoms (depression, anxiety, stress) as well as insulin resistance in adults with prediabetes. A clear dose-response relationship was observed, indicating that higher frequencies produce stronger psychophysiological effects (600 counts per minute, approximately 10 Hz). This noninvasive, low-cost intervention may integrate mind-body mechanisms to enhance both metabolic control and emotional well-being, although these mechanisms were not directly measured in the study. The simplicity, safety, and cultural adaptability of this approach support its promise as an adjunct to lifestyle and pharmacological prediabetes management.
