Acupuncture for allergic rhinitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Integrative and Complementary Medicine
• Clinical Research
• Evidence-Based Medicine

Background:

• Allergic rhinitis (AR) significantly impacts quality of life.
• Assessing the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for AR is crucial.
• Robustness of acupuncture's effects requires rigorous evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and assess the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for allergic rhinitis.
• To evaluate the robustness of pooled results using trial sequential analysis.
• To compare acupuncture with sham acupuncture, no intervention, and conventional medications.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review adhering to Cochrane methodology standards.
• Inclusion of 30 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 4413 participants.
• Application of trial sequential analysis (TSA) to test result robustness.

Main Results:

• Acupuncture improved nasal symptoms and quality of life in adults with AR versus no intervention.
• Acupuncture showed benefits over sham acupuncture for nasal symptoms and quality of life.
• No significant difference was found between acupuncture and cetirizine or loratadine.
• TSA did not confirm the pooled results; data for children/adolescents is insufficient.
• Significant performance, attrition, and potential selection bias were noted.

Conclusions:

• Acupuncture may offer benefits for adults with AR compared to no intervention or sham acupuncture.
• Acupuncture's effect on AR appears comparable to cetirizine or loratadine.
• Further high-quality trials are needed to confirm these findings and address data limitations.