The integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine 'Three-Team' co-management model was associated with earlier and greater improvements in sleep quality and glycemic control in patients with T2DM and comorbid sleep disorders, with additional benefits in postprandial islet function and lipid profile.
The intervention group showed significantly greater improvement in Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores over time than the control group.
Improvements in fasting blood glucose (FBG) were significantly greater in the intervention group than the control group, with significant between-group differences observed as early as 3 months.
Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) improvements were significantly greater in the intervention group, with significant between-group differences observed as early as 3 months.
2-hour C-peptide, a marker of postprandial islet function, increased significantly from baseline in the intervention group compared to the control group.
Reductions in total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were greater in the intervention group than the control group.
This study used a prospective, concurrent, non-randomized controlled design enrolling 57 patients with T2DM and comorbid sleep disorders.
This research suggests that combining traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with standard Western medical care — through a coordinated 'Three-Team' approach involving an endocrinologist, a TCM physician, and a health manager — can improve sleep quality and blood sugar control in people who have both type 2 diabetes and sleep problems. After 6 months, patients in the integrated care group had notably better sleep scores and lower blood sugar levels (both fasting glucose and HbA1c, a measure of long-term blood sugar control) compared to patients who received standard care alone. Importantly, these blood sugar improvements were already apparent at the 3-month mark. Beyond sleep and blood sugar, patients in the Three-Team group also showed improvements in markers of the pancreas's ability to respond to meals (2-hour C-peptide) and had greater reductions in cholesterol levels, including LDL ('bad') cholesterol. This suggests the integrated approach may have broad metabolic benefits beyond glycemic control alone. It is important to note that this was a relatively small study (57 patients total) and participants chose which group they joined rather than being randomly assigned, which can introduce bias. The study was conducted at a single hospital in China, so how well these results would apply in other settings is unclear. Nonetheless, this research suggests that coordinated, multi-disciplinary care integrating TCM and Western medicine may offer meaningful advantages for managing type 2 diabetes patients who also struggle with sleep disorders.
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Upload Your LabsSun M, Li C, Xia Y, Yu H. (2026). Integrated TCM-western "three-team" co-management for type 2 diabetes with sleep disorders: a prospective study.. Frontiers in endocrinology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2026.1918435