The Journal of Korean Medicine (대한한의학회지)

The Society of Korean Medicine (대한한의학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Acupuncture as an adjunct treatment to increase the success rate of in vitro fertilisation: an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses

  • Jeong, Daun (Pureunsan Korean Traditional Medical Clinic) ;
  • Hyun, Min-Kyoung (National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency) ;
  • Jeong, Jae-Cheol (Dept. of Obstetrics & Gynecology, College of Korean Medicine, Dongguk University) ;
  • Park, Jang-Kyung (Dept. of Obstetrics & Gynecology, College of Korean Medicine, Dongguk University) ;
  • Choi, Min-Sun (Dept. of Obstetrics & Gynecology, College of Korean Medicine, Dongguk University) ;
  • Kim, Dong-Il (Dept. of Obstetrics & Gynecology, College of Korean Medicine, Dongguk University) ;
  • Lee, Dong-Nyung (Dept. of Oriental Gynecology, College of Oriental Medicine, Se-Myung University)
  • Received : 2014.01.13
  • Accepted : 2014.05.17
  • Published : 2014.06.30
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of acupuncture as an adjunct treatment to increase the success rate of in vitro fertilisation (IVF). Methods: A review of the English and Korean literature was conducted to identify studies on acupuncture as an adjunct treatment to IVF. The main outcome measures were the biochemical pregnancy rate (BPR), the implantation rate (IR), the clinical pregnancy rate (CPR), the miscarriage rate (MR), the on-going pregnancy rate (OPR) and the live birth rate (LBR). Results: Nine meta-analyses of 11 systematic reviews (SRs) were included in this review. In four SRs, the overall IVF outcomes regardless of the procedural steps were documented; two of these SRs reported a significant effect on the CPR. One SR reported that acupuncture at the time of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation had a significant effect on the BPR. Seven SRs reported that acupuncture had no significant impact on transvaginal oocyte retrieval (TVOR). In eight SRs, significant impacts on the CPR, LIBR and OPR were reported when acupuncture was performed around the time of embryo transfer (ET). The results of repeated acupuncture after ET were included in two SRs, which included the same primary studies. The results of the SRs showed that acupuncture had a positive effect on the CPR. Conclusions: When the complete IVF procedure is analysed, there is conflicting evidence in that some reviews have found that acupuncture leads to an increased CPR but others have not. In addition, the reviews presented no evidence to suggest that acupuncture has any specific risks.

Keywords

References

  1. Boivin J, Bunting L, Collins JA, Nygren KG. International estimates of infertility prevalence and treatment-seeking: potential need and demand for infertility medical care. Hum Reprod. 2007;22(6):1506-12. Epub 2007 Mar 21. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dem046
  2. Dyer SJ. International estimates on infertility prevalence and treatment seeking: potential need and demand for medical care. Hum Reprod. 2009 Sep;24(9):2379-80; author reply 2380-3. Epub 2009 Jun 20. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dep219
  3. Smith CA, de Lacey S, Chapman M, Ratcliffe J, Norman RJ, Johnson N, et al. Acupuncture to improve live birth rates for women undergoing in vitro fertilization: a protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2012;18:13:60. https://doi.org/10.1186/1745-6215-13-60
  4. Rosenthal L and Anderson B. Acupuncture and in vitro fertilisation: recent research and clinical guidelines. J Chin Med. 2007;(84):28-35.
  5. Segev Y, Carp H, Auslender R, Dirnfeld M. Is there a place for adjuvant therapy in IVF? Obstet Gynecol Surv. 2010;65(4):260-72. https://doi.org/10.1097/OGX.0b013e3181dbc53f
  6. Weiss DA, Harris CR, Smith JF. The use of complementary and alternative fertility treatments. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol. 2011;23(3): 195-9. doi:10.1097/GCO.0b013e3283455246.
  7. Vanderploeg K, Yi X. Acupuncture in modern society. J Acupunct Meridian Stud. 2009;2(1):26-33. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2005-2901(09)60012-1
  8. Kang HS, Jeong D, Kim DI, Lee MS. The use of acupuncture for managing gynaecologic conditions: An overview of systematic reviews. Maturitas. 2011;68(4):346-54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2011.02.001
  9. Smith CA, Grant S, Lyttleton J, Cochrane S. Development of an acupuncture treatment protocol by consensus for women undergoing Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) treatment. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2012;12(1):88. [Epub ahead of print] https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-12-88
  10. Stener-Victorin E. The pain-relieving effect of electro-acupuncture and conventional medical analgesic methods during oocyte retrieval: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Hum Reprod. 2005;20(2):339-49. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/deh595
  11. Manheimer E, Zhang G, Udoff L, Haramati A, Langenberg P, Berman BM, et al. Effects of acupuncture on rates of pregnancy and live birth among women undergoing in vitro fertilisation: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ. 2008;336(7643):545-9. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.39471.430451.BE
  12. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Methods Guide for Effectiveness and Comparative Effectiveness Reviews. Chapter 11. Using Existing Systematic Reviews to Replace De Novo Processes in Conducting Comparative Effectiveness Reviews. Available at: External link http://www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/searchfor- guides-reviews-and-reports/?pageaction=disp layproduct&mp=1&productID=318. Accessed August 13, 2012.
  13. Whitlock EP, Lin JS, Chou R, Shekelle P, Robinson KA. Using existing systematic reviews in complex systematic reviews. Ann Intern Med. 2008;148(10):776-82. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-148-10-200805200-00010
  14. Shea BJ, Hamel C, Wells GA, Bouter LM, Kristjansson E, Grimshaw J et al. AMSTAR is a reliable and valid measurement tool to assess the methodological quality of systematic reviews. J Clin Epidemiol. 2009;62(10):1013-20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2008.10.009
  15. Anderson BJ, Haimovici F, Ginsburg ES, Schust DJ, Wayne PM. In vitro fertilization and acupuncture: Clinical efficacy and mechanistic basis. Altern Ther Health Med. 2007; 13(3):38-48.
  16. Cheong YC, Hung YNE, Ledger WL. Acupuncture and assisted conception (Review). Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008;(4):CD006920.
  17. Cheong Y, Nardo LG, Rutherford T, Ledger W. Acupuncture and herbal medicine in in vitro fertilisation: a review of the evidence for clinical practice. Hum Fertil (Camb). 2010;13(1): 3-12.
  18. El-Toukhy T, Sunkara SK, Khairy M, Dyer R, Khalaf Y, Coomarasamy A. A systematic review and meta-analysis of acupuncture in in vitro fertilisation. BJOG. 2008;115(10):1203-13. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-0528.2008.01838.x
  19. El-Toukhy T, Khalaf Y. The impact of acupuncture on assisted reproductive technology outcome. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol. 2009;21(3):240-6. https://doi.org/10.1097/GCO.0b013e3283292491
  20. Ng EH, So WS, Gao J, Wong YY, Ho PC. The role of acupuncture in the management of subfertility. Fertil Steril. 2008;90(1):1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.02.094
  21. Qu F, Zhou J, Ren RX. Effects of Acupuncture on the Outcomes of In Vitro Fertilization: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Altern Complement Med. 2012;18(5):429-39. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2011.0158
  22. White AR. A review of controlled trials of acupuncture for women's reproductive health care. J Fam Plann Reprod Health Care. 2003;29(4):233-6. https://doi.org/10.1783/147118903101197863
  23. Zheng CH, Huang GY, Zhang MM, Wang W. Effects of acupuncture on pregnancy rates in women undergoing in vitro fertilization: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Fertil Steril. 2012;97(3):599-611. Epub 2012 Jan 11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2011.12.007
  24. American Pregnancy Association. Infertility and Reproductive Technologies: In Vitro Fertilization: IVF. Available at: External link http://www. americanpregnancy.org/infertility/ivf.html
  25. Zegers-Hochschild F, Adamson GD, de Mouzon J, Ishihara O, Mansour R, Nygren K, et al. International Committee for Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technology; World Health Organization. International Committee for Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technology (ICMART) and the World Health Organization (WHO) revised glossary of ART terminology, 2009. Fertil Steril. 2009;92(5):1520-4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2009.09.009
  26. Smith C, Coyle M, Norman R. Influence of acupuncture stimulation on pregnancy rates for women undergoing embryo transfer. Fertil and Steril. 2006;85:1352-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2005.12.015
  27. Lin JG, Chen CH, Huang YC, Chen YH. How to design the control group in randomized controlled trials of acupuncture? Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012;2012:875284.
  28. Manheimer E. Selecting a control for in vitro fertilization and acupuncture randomized controlled trials (RCTs): how sham controls may unnecessarily complicate the RCT evidence base. Fertil Steril. 2011;95(8):2456-61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2011.04.040
  29. Ernst E, Canter PH. A systematic review of systematic reviews of spinal manipulation. J R Soc Med. 2006;99(4):192-6. https://doi.org/10.1258/jrsm.99.4.192
  30. Huang DM, Huang GY, Lu FE, Stefan D, Andreas N, Robert G. Acupuncture for infertility: is it an effective therapy? Chin J Integr Med. 2011;17(5):386-95. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-011-0611-8
  31. Balk J, Catov J, Horn B, Gecsi K, Wakim A. The relationship between perceived stress, acupuncture, and pregnancy rates among IVF patients: a pilot study. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2010;16(3):154-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2009.11.004
  32. Isoyama D, Cordts EB, de Souza van Niewegen AM, de Almeida Pereira de Carvalho W, Matsumura ST, Barbosa CP. Effect of acupuncture on symptoms of anxiety in women undergoing in vitro fertilisation: a prospective randomised controlled study. Acupunct Med. 2012;30(2): 85-8. https://doi.org/10.1136/acupmed-2011-010064

Cited by

  1. Infectobesity: a New Area for Microbiological and Virological Research vol.41, pp.2, 2014, https://doi.org/10.4167/jbv.2011.41.2.65
  2. The Effects of Participation in Exercise and Nutrition Education Program on Physical Fitness, Dietary Habits and Nutrition Intake Status for Adolescents vol.21, pp.3, 2014, https://doi.org/10.7570/kjo.2012.21.3.158
  3. Relationship between Abdominal Obesity and Proportion of Supper and Late-night Meals vol.25, pp.2, 2014, https://doi.org/10.7570/kjo.2016.25.2.92