Eficacia de la acupuntura Tung para las hormonas sexuales en el síndrome del ovario poliquístico: ensayo controlado aleatorio

Background

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common and heterogeneous endocrine disorder in reproductive-age women. Tung's acupuncture, a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatment, is widely used for SOP in East Asia, but evidence on its efficacy is rare. The aim of this ECA study was to examine whether the Tung's acupuncture could be a complementary treatment method for PCOS.

Methods

A total of 60 PCOS patients were randomly assigned to a Tung's acupuncture group (n=30) or a cyproterone acetate/ethinylestradiol (CPA/EE) group (n=30). Each participant received treatments for 12 weeks to assess the short-term treatment efficacy and then followed up for another 12 weeks to assess the long-term treatment efficacy. The primary outcome examined was change in the ratio of luteinizing hormone (HL) to follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH); the secondary outcomes examined were changes in body mass index (BMI), LH, FSH, total testosterone (TT), ovarian volume, polycystic ovary number and menstrual frequency.

Results

Both groups showed significant reductions in the LH/FSH ratio, LH and TT after 12-week treatment (p<0.001) and 12-week follow-up (p<0.05). No significant differences existed between the two groups (p>0.05). Both groups showed significant improvement in IMC, menstrual frequency and polycystic ovary number after 12-week treatment (p<0.05).

Conclusion

Compared with CPA/EE, Tung's acupuncture showed no better improvement on HL/FSH ratio for PCOS although it could reduce the ratio. Tung's acupuncture might have some effect on long-term weight control and menstruation frequency. Further studies addressing this study's limitations are recommended.