Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35462555›Full record

SynthesisEuropean journal of medical research2022

Acupuncture for allergic rhinitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Min He, Weishan Qin, Zongshi Qin, Changqing Zhao

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European journal of medical research, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
19citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
4.1field-weighted citation impact, top 5% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

19 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 30 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  3. Variants of rhinitis medicamentosa treatment: a systematic review.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2025
    Pooled it
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  16. New progress in pediatric allergic rhinitis.Frontiers in immunology · 2024
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Min He *Department of Ophthalmology, Shanxi Medical University Second Affiliated Hospital, No. 382, Wuyi Road, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, People's Republic of China. heminzzzz@163.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8868-1063
Weishan Qin *Department of Ophthalmology, Shanxi Medical University Second Affiliated Hospital, No. 382, Wuyi Road, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, People's Republic of China.
Zongshi QinDepartment of Acupuncture and Neurology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Changqing ZhaoDepartment of Otolaryngology, Shanxi Medical University Second Affiliated Hospital, Taiyuan, Shanxi, People's Republic of China.
Shanxi Medical University · CNChinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College · CN

Funding

Shanxi Scholarship Council of China (CN) 2014-key project-3Shanxi Scholarship Council of China (CN) 2016-062the Fund Program for Doctors of Shanxi Medical University BS201712the Fund Program for Key Research and Development (R&D) Project of Shanxi Province 201903D321121the Fund Program for the Scientific Activities of Selected Returned Overseas Professionals in Shanxi Province 2017-144
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn this study, we attempted to assess the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for allergic rhinitis (AR), and to test the robustness of the estimated effects.

methodsThe Cochrane methodology standard was followed to conduct this systematic review. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing acupuncture with other therapies for AR were included. Furthermore, trial sequential analysis was conducted to test the robustness of pooled results. Thirty trials with 4413 participants were included.

resultsAcupuncture improved the nasal symptoms on Total Nasal Symptom Score (TNSS) and quality of life measured by Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) in adults with AR, compared to acupuncture with no intervention. Acupuncture was also shown to be more effective than sham acupuncture for nasal symptom (RQLQ subscale, n = 489, MD - 0.60, 95% CI - 1.16 to - 0.04) and quality of life (RQLQ, n = 248, - 8.47 95% CI - 14.91, - 2.03). No clear difference was observed between acupuncture and cetirizine or loratadine. Interestingly, trial sequential analysis (TSA) failed to confirm the aforementioned results. The effect of acupuncture for children/adolescents with AR remains unclear due to insufficient data. The performance bias and attrition bias are serious in most studies that were included. Selection bias may also have affected the quality of the evidence.

conclusionAcupuncture may have an advantage over no intervention and sham acupuncture in improving nasal symptoms and quality of life for adults with AR. The effect of acupuncture and cetirizine or loratadine for AR may be similar. Additional trials are necessary to confirm these results.

Indexed as

Acupuncture TherapyRhinitis, AllergicAdolescentAdultCetirizineChildHumansLoratadineQuality of LifeSurveys and QuestionnairesCetirizineLoratadineAcupunctureAllergic rhinitisMeta-analysisRandomized controlled trials

Identifiers

PMID35462555
PMCPMC9036742
OpenAlexW4225525946

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.