Shen Que moxibustion treatment can improve reproductive outcomes in women with unexpected poor ovarian response who meet specific criteria.
The study was carried out as a randomized, open-label, superiority trial at an academic fertility center. Women who were eligible for in vitro fertilization and met the specific criteria - an antral follicle count greater than or equal to five or anti-müllerian hormone greater than or equal to 1.2ng/ml, and a prior experience of unexpected poor ovarian response were chosen. They were equally divided into two groups: one group underwent Shen Que moxibustion treatment in addition to the IVF treatment, while the other only underwent the IVF treatment. The primary data point was the number of oocytes (egg cells) retrieved.
In comparison to the group that only had IVF treatment, the group that had the addition of Shen Que moxibustion treatments saw a significant increase in the number of retrieved oocytes, mature oocytes and available embryos in women over 35 years. This indicates that the Shen Que moxibustion treatment not only increased the quantity of available oocytes, but also their quality as seen in the increased maturity. This group also noticed a higher live birth rate, although the difference with the control group was not significant. Throughout the testing process, no significant adverse effects were recorded.
