ArticleBMJ open2025
Efficacy and safety of acupuncture for sarcopenia in older adults: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Article in BMJ open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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.
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
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Electroacupuncture combined with nutritional intervention for gastrointestinal cancer-related sarcopenia: a randomized controlled trial using ultrasonographic indices.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Trial
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionSarcopenia is a prevalent skeletal muscle disorder among older adults that can significantly diminish their quality of life. While acupuncture is gaining traction as a treatment for various skeletal muscle disorders, there is currently insufficient evidence supporting its efficacy specifically for sarcopenia. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture interventions for sarcopenia. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A comprehensive search will be conducted across eight databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Biology Medicine disc, China Science and Technology Journal Database and Wanfang Database) from their inception until December 31, 2025. Additionally, clinical trial registries and other relevant sources will be searched. All randomised controlled trials (RCTs) related to acupuncture treatment for sarcopenia will be included. Data extraction will encompass study details, design, participant demographics, intervention specifics, outcome measures and reported adverse events. The primary outcomes of interest will be muscle strength, muscle mass and physical performance. The risk of bias will be evaluated using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 (RoB 2) tool. The study selection, data extraction and risk of bias assessment will be independently carried out by two reviewers. A meta-analysis will be performed using RevMan V.5.4 and STATA V.16.0, while descriptive analyses will be conducted as necessary. The certainty of evidence for the outcomes will be assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval is not required since the data for this study were obtained from public databases. The findings will be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD420251067492.
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Registered trials
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