Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40300888›Full record

SynthesisMedical gas research2025

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for male infertility: a systematic review and meta-analysis on improving sperm quality and fertility outcomes.

Bang Liu, Jin Wang, Lvjun Liu, Mengmei Lv, Dai Zhou, Min Li

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Medical gas research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
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

6 authors.

Bang LiuHunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Hereditary Birth Defect Prevention and Control, Changsha Hospital for Maternal & Child Health Care Affiliated to Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China.
Jin WangHunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Hereditary Birth Defect Prevention and Control, Changsha Hospital for Maternal & Child Health Care Affiliated to Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China.
Lvjun LiuHunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Hereditary Birth Defect Prevention and Control, Changsha Hospital for Maternal & Child Health Care Affiliated to Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China.
Mengmei LvHunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Hereditary Birth Defect Prevention and Control, Changsha Hospital for Maternal & Child Health Care Affiliated to Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China.
Dai ZhouHunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Hereditary Birth Defect Prevention and Control, Changsha Hospital for Maternal & Child Health Care Affiliated to Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China.ORCID 0000-0003-4577-8898
Min LiReproductive & Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha, Hunan Province, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has emerged as a potential adjunctive treatment for male infertility, as it targets various sperm abnormalities and improves fertility outcomes. This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesized data from randomized controlled trials to evaluate the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in treating male infertility. A comprehensive literature search identified nine eligible studies, which were assessed for quality using the Jadad scale and analyzed for heterogeneity. The meta-analysis revealed significant improvements in sperm survival, density, morphology, normal sperm rates, and motility following hyperbaric oxygen therapy, with an increased clinical pregnancy rate. Subgroup analyses based on infertility etiology and treatment duration further elucidated the heterogeneity of male infertility stemming from the etiology of infertility. Despite the high robustness of the meta-analysis results, the study is limited by the small number of included trials and potential publication bias. In conclusion, when combined with conventional treatments, hyperbaric oxygen therapy significantly enhances sperm parameters and fertility, underscoring its role as an effective adjunctive therapy for male infertility.

Indexed as

FertilityHyperbaric OxygenationInfertility, MaleSpermatozoaFemaleHumansMalePregnancyTreatment Outcomeasthenospermiachronic bacterial prostatitishyperbaric oxygenidiopathic male infertilitymale infertilitymeta-analysisoligospermiaspermteratospermiavaricocele

Identifiers

PMID40300888
PMCPMC12124701

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-SA
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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.