SynthesisFrontiers in endocrinology2022
Acupuncture combined with metformin versus metformin alone to improve pregnancy rate in polycystic ovary syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Frontiers in endocrinology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 22 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of different acupuncture methods on polycystic ovarian syndrome: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2026Pooled it
- Effects of acupuncture-related therapies on endocrine and metabolic outcomes in obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Improvement of endocrine and metabolic conditions in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome through acupuncture and its combined therapies: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Annals of medicine · 2025Pooled it
- Efficacy of Acupuncture in Alleviating Negative Emotions in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Brain and behavior · 2025Pooled it
- Comparative effects of acupuncture and metformin on insulin sensitivity in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2025 · on this mapPooled it
- Dose-response of acupuncture on ovulation rates in polycystic ovary syndrome: a meta-analysis and exploratory dose-response analysis.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2025Pooled it
- The effects of acupuncture on patients with premature ovarian insufficiency and polycystic ovary syndrome: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.Frontiers in medicine · 2024Pooled it
- Trends in acupuncture for infertility: a scoping review with bibliometric and visual analysis.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2024Pooled it
- Real-Time and High-Resolution NIR-II-L Imaging of Netrin-1-Mediated Neurovascular Coupling Driven by Dose-Dependent Electroacupuncture.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026Article
- Acupuncture for premature ovarian insufficiency: a systemic neuroendocrine perspective.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2026Review
- Integrative Approaches to Ovulation Induction in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Narrative Review of Conventional and Complementary Therapies.Biomedicines · 2025Review
- Article
- Comparative effectiveness and safety of acupuncture vs metformin in insulin-resistant polycystic ovary syndrome women: A network meta-analysis of RCTs.Integrative medicine research · 2025Review
- Commentary: The effects of acupuncture on patients with premature ovarian insufficiency and polycystic ovary syndrome: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Article
- Effects and mechanisms of acupuncture on women related health.Frontiers of medicine · 2024Review
- Acupuncture and Drug Combination Therapy for Abnormal Glucose Metabolism: Exploring Synergistic Enhancement and Reduced Toxicity Mechanisms.Diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity : targets and therapy · 2024Review
- Underlying mechanisms of acupuncture therapy on polycystic ovary syndrome: Evidences from animal and clinical studies.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
12 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the comparison between acupuncture combined with metformin versus metformin alone in improving the pregnancy rate of people with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Methods: A literature search of eight databases resulted in nine randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that assessed the effect of acupuncture combined with metformin on pregnancy rate in PCOS patients compared with metformin alone. Subsequently, data extraction and analysis were conducted to evaluate the quality and risk of bias of the methodological design of the study, and meta-analysis was conducted on the RCT data. Results: Nine RCTs and 1,159 women were included. Acupuncture can improve pregnancy rate. It was analyzed according to the diagnostic criteria of PCOS [ Conclusions: Based on the results of this study, compared with metformin alone, acupuncture combined with metformin has a positive effect on pregnancy rate, ovulation rate, and insulin resistance in PCOS. However, due to the limitations regarding the number and quality of the included studies, the above conclusions need to be verified by further high-quality studies. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/#myprospero.
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Registered trials
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.