Acupuncture for Poor Ovarian Response: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Integrative Oncology
• Traditional Chinese Medicine

Background:

• Acupuncture is hypothesized to enhance ovarian reserve and in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes.
• Poor ovarian response presents a significant challenge in IVF, necessitating novel therapeutic strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of network-optimized acupuncture preceding IVF on oocyte yield in women with poor ovarian response.
• To explore acupuncture's efficacy in improving reproductive outcomes for specific patient subgroups.

Main Methods:

• An exploratory randomized controlled trial involving women diagnosed with poor ovarian response.
• Participants were assigned to either IVF alone or acupuncture followed by IVF (Ac + IVF), with 16 acupuncture sessions.
• Network analysis identified eight key acupoints based on centrality and betweenness.

Main Results:

• The Ac + IVF group showed a significant increase in retrieved mature oocytes compared to IVF alone, especially in women over 37 years old.
• This benefit extended to women undergoing multiple controlled ovarian hyperstimulation cycles.
• Acupuncture mitigated the negative correlation between oocyte yield and repeated IVF attempts, regardless of age.

Conclusions:

• Network-optimized acupuncture can be a valuable adjunct therapy for improving oocyte yield in specific IVF patient populations.
• Consideration of acupuncture is recommended for women over 37 with poor ovarian response or those undergoing multiple IVF cycles.