Cangfu Daotan Decoction, a traditional Chinese herbal formula, improves fertility in individuals with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome when combined with conventional treatments.
In the study, the researchers exhaustively searched seven databases for randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effectiveness of Cangfu Daotan Decoction (CFDTT) in treating infertility related to Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. They carried out their evaluation through a variety of statistical analyses including meta-analysis, subgroup analysis along with sensitivity analysis and tests for publication bias. Quality of the evidence was further assessed with the GRADE system.
Their analyses revealed the combination of CFDTT and conventional pharmacotherapy to be more effective than standard treatment alone in improving key markers associated with fertility: ovulation rate, pregnancy rate, ovarian volume, count of dominant follicles and endometrial thickness. Nonetheless, due to the high variability and methodological limitations in the trials, the certainty of the evidence varied from low to very low. Only a limited number of trials directly compared CFDTT with standard pharmacotherapy, but the evidence is limited to a single study. Safety data were inadequately reported in most trials, and few provided lab monitoring data. Existing evidence suggested that CFDTT may reduce risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome or luteinized unruptured follicle syndrome, but potential organ toxicity couldn't be ruled out. Moreover, the presence of publication bias was noted for some outcomes. With all these shortcomings, CFDTT appeared as a promising adjunctive therapy for infertility associated with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, offering potential synergistic effects with conventional treatments. The need for further, carefully designed studies to bolster the validity of these findings was underscored.
