Acupuncture for Treating Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Guidance for Future Randomized Controlled Trials

Overview

Journal J Zhejiang Univ Sci B

Specialties Biology
General Medicine

Date 2016 Mar 18

PMID 26984837

Citations 11

Authors

Yan Wu

Nicola Robinson

Paul J Hardiman

Malcolm B Taw

Jue Zhou

Fang-Fang Wang

Fan Qu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: To provide guidance for future randomized controlled trials (RCTs) based on a review concerning acupuncture for treating polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in October 2015 using MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCISEARCH, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, the Cochrane Menstrual Disorders and Subfertility Group trials register, Allied and Complementary Medicine (AMED), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and the Wanfang databases. RCTs comparing either acupuncture with no/sham/pharmacological intervention or a combination of acupuncture and conventional therapy with conventional therapy in the treatment of PCOS were included in this review. A quality evaluation was performed for each of the included studies.

Results: Thirty-one RCTs were included in the review and were divided into four categories according to the type of intervention used in the comparator or control group. Menstrual frequency, hormones, anthropometrics, insulin sensitivity, blood lipids, and fertility were used as the main measurements to assess the effects of acupuncture on the patients with PCOS. Thirty trials, except for one, showed an improvement in at least one of the indicators of PCOS after acupuncture treatment. However, normalizing the methodological and reporting format remains an issue.

Conclusions: Based upon this review of current clinical trials concerning acupuncture for treating PCOS, we provide guidelines for better clinical trial design in the future.

Citing Articles

Non-pharmacological interventions of traditional Chinese medicine in treating polycystic ovary syndrome: a group consensus.

Zhou T, Wang F, Xu X, Zhu Y, Zhang R, Lee H Integr Med Res. 2025; 13(4):101093.

PMID: 39967750 PMC: 11832912. DOI: 10.1016/j.imr.2024.101093.

Underlying mechanisms of acupuncture therapy on polycystic ovary syndrome: Evidences from animal and clinical studies.

Ye Y, Zhou C, Hu H, Fukuzawa I, Zhang H Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2022; 13:1035929.

PMID: 36353235 PMC: 9637827. DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1035929.

The Treatment with Complementary and Alternative Traditional Chinese Medicine for Menstrual Disorders with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

Zhang Y, Guo X, Ma S, Ma H, Li H, Wang Y Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2021; 2021:6678398.

PMID: 34055020 PMC: 8149243. DOI: 10.1155/2021/6678398.

Effects of Electroacupuncture on Ovarian Expression of the Androgen Receptor and Connexin 43 in Rats with Letrozole-Induced Polycystic Ovaries.

Xu G, Zhang A, Liu J, Wang X, Feng J, Chen Y Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020; 2020:3608062.

PMID: 32733580 PMC: 7376399. DOI: 10.1155/2020/3608062.

Towards a multidimensional scientific approach to improve clinical practices for infertility treatment.

Zhu Y, Qu F J Zhejiang Univ Sci B. 2018; 19(11):815-817.

PMID: 30387331 PMC: 6238113. DOI: 10.1631/jzus.B1801014.

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