Integrating Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine into Assisted Reproductive Technology: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of East Asian Traditional Medicine

作者：Xiangping Peng, Bo Wu, Siyu Zhou, Yinghan Xu, Atsushi Ogihara, Shoji Nishimura, Qun Jin, Gerhard Litscher · 发表于：Healthcare · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.3390/healthcare13111326 · 被引用次数：8 · 研究领域：Ovarian function and disorders、Reproductive Health and Technologies、Acupuncture Treatment Research Studies

BACKGROUND: Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) are essential in treating infertility but often face limited success due to low implantation and live birth rates. East Asian traditional medicine (EATM), including acupuncture and herbal medicine (HM), may enhance physiological responses during ART cycles. This study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of EATM in improving clinical pregnancy and live birth outcomes in women undergoing ART. METHODS: This review, registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023411712), systematically searched 11 databases up to 31 March 2023. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing EATM interventions to control groups. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed independently by two authors. Meta-analysis used the inverse-variance method in Stata 12.0. A total of 37 RCTs involving 10,776 women (aged 29-38) were analyzed. Studies addressed infertility causes including polycystic ovary syndrome, tubal blockage, diminished ovarian reserve, and unexplained infertility. Acupuncture therapies included body, electro-, laser, and auricular acupuncture. Herbal treatments were administered as powders, pills, granules, decoctions, and ointments based on traditional Chinese formulas. RESULTS: EATM interventions were associated with significant improvements in clinical pregnancy and live birth rates. Acupuncture increased clinical pregnancy rates (CPR: RR 1.316, 95% CI 1.171-1.480) and live birth rates (LBR: RR 1.287, 95% CI 1.081-1.533)....