Case report on acupuncture for diminished ovarian reserve and recurrent IVF failure
Photo by Europeana / Unsplash
Key Takeaway
Consider that acupuncture may improve ovarian function in a single case, but evidence is very limited.
This publication is a single case report. It describes a 38-year-old patient with diminished ovarian reserve and recurrent IVF failure who received acupuncture as adjunctive therapy for three months. The authors report that the patient achieved pregnancy following treatment. They also report improvements in sex hormonal levels, antral follicle count (AFC), and Modified Kupperman Index (mKMI) score.
The report does not provide effect sizes, absolute numbers, p-values, or confidence intervals for these outcomes. The authors note that the evidence is limited to a single case with no comparator group. They acknowledge that it is not reported whether any improvements are sustained long-term.
The authors suggest acupuncture may improve ovarian function in this context but emphasize the very low certainty of the evidence. They caution that findings cannot be generalized to all patients with diminished ovarian reserve or IVF failure. Practice relevance is restrained, noting that acupuncture is not a proven treatment for this condition based on this single case.
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View Original Abstract ↓
BackgroundDiminished ovarian reserve (DOR), characterized by reduced oocyte quantity and quality, presents clinically with menstrual disorders and hormonal disturbances, severely impacting fertility. The pathogenesis of DOR remains unclear and no treatment consensus currently exists. Acupuncture, a cost-effective and acceptable traditional Chinese medicine therapy, has gained widespread application in reproductive medicine. Emerging evidence indicates that acupuncture can improve ovarian function and enhance fertility potential in women with DOR.Case descriptionThis article reports a case of a 38-year-old patient with DOR and recurrent in vitro fertilization (IVF) failure who achieved pregnancy following three months of acupuncture treatment, which was associated with improvements in sex hormonal levels, antral follicle count (AFC), and modified Kupperman Index (mKMI) score.ConclusionThis case report suggests that acupuncture as an adjunctive intervention may help improve ovarian function in patients with DOR and a history of recurrent failed IVF attempts, thereby providing evidence to support acupuncture as a potential treatment strategy for DOR-related infertility.
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