Key Finding
Acupuncture did not significantly increase the number of oocytes retrieved in women with poor ovarian response, though it was associated with a 100% embryo cleavage rate compared to 87% in controls and lower basal FSH levels.
Researchers in China studied whether acupuncture could help women with poor ovarian response (POR) produce more eggs during fertility treatment. Poor ovarian response means the ovaries don't respond well to hormone stimulation, making it harder to retrieve enough eggs for in vitro fertilization (IVF). The study involved 140 women age 40 or younger at nine hospitals. Half received 36 acupuncture sessions before starting their IVF cycle, while the other half received only standard IVF treatment. The main finding was that acupuncture did not increase the number of eggs retrieved—both groups averaged about 2 eggs. However, women who received acupuncture showed some promising differences: 100% of their fertilized eggs successfully divided into embryos compared to 87% in the control group, and their baseline FSH levels (a hormone marker of ovarian reserve) were lower, suggesting better ovarian function. Despite these improvements, pregnancy rates and live birth rates were not significantly different between groups, though the acupuncture group showed a trend toward higher pregnancy rates (34% versus 21%). No serious side effects occurred. While acupuncture didn't increase egg numbers in this study, it may offer some benefits to egg and embryo quality for women with poor ovarian response. More research is needed to understand these effects. If considering acupuncture for fertility support, seek a licensed acupuncturist with specialized training in reproductive health.
This multicenter RCT (n=140) evaluated acupuncture's effect on oocyte retrieval in women ≤40 years with poor ovarian response (POR) per Bologna criteria undergoing antagonist protocol IVF. The acupuncture group received 36 pre-COH sessions versus IVF-only controls. Primary outcome showed no significant difference in oocytes retrieved between groups (median 2.00 [IQR 1.00-3.00] vs 2.00 [1.00-4.00]; p=0.283). Secondary outcomes revealed significantly higher cleavage rates in the acupuncture group (100% vs 87.39%; difference 12.61%, 95% CI [6.64%, 18.57%]; p<0.001) and lower basal FSH (9.08 vs 11.31 IU/L; p=0.019). Clinical pregnancy (34.29% vs 21.43%; p=0.090) and live birth rates (21.43% vs 15.71%; p=0.385) showed non-significant trends favoring acupuncture. No serious adverse events occurred. Clinical takeaway: While acupuncture did not increase oocyte yield in POR patients, improvements in embryo quality markers warrant further investigation with larger sample sizes to assess clinical significance.
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