Effects of acupuncture on Luteinized Unruptured Follicle Syndrome: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Xiaojuan Liu, Wenying Shi, Zhifeng Liu, Shuqing Shi, Chao Ke, Peiming Zhang, Zhenyu Tan, Wei Zhang · Complementary Therapies in Medicine · 2020 March

DOI 10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102319

Objective

This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the comprehensive efficiency and safety of acupuncture on Luteinized Unruptured Follicle Syndrome based on Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs).

Conclusions

Improved serum luteinizing hormone and estradiol levels, and decreased pulsatility index and resistance index of ovary artery were shown in both two subgroups. Evidences of most outcomes were “low” or “very low”, so the results should be cautiously interpreted.

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Insights

Acupuncture enhances Luteinized Unruptured Follicle Syndrome (LUFS) ovulation, hormone levels, artery characteristics.

This meta-analysis aimed to assess the overall effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for treating Luteinized Unruptured Follicle Syndrome (LUFS) using Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs). Ten studies with 715 participants were analyzed. Acupuncture, whether used alone or alongside other treatments, significantly improved ovulation rates, as confirmed by Trial Sequential Analysis. However, evidence regarding acupuncture's impact on pregnancy rates was insufficient. The studies also showed improvements in hormone levels and ovarian artery characteristics. The level of evidence for most outcomes was rated as "low" or "very low," emphasizing the need for cautious interpretation. The conclusion suggests that acupuncture, either alone or in combination with drugs, is effective in improving ovulation in LUFS cases. However, due to limited concurrent evidence, further high-quality studies are required to strengthen these findings.