Evidence mapPaperPMID 39749020Full record

Trial reportFrontiers in endocrinology2024

Acupuncture for hormonal readiness and gut microbiota in obese polycystic ovary syndrome: an open-label, randomized controlled trial.

Tianyu Wu, Guixing Xu, Xiaojuan Hong, Huaying Fan, Jiuzhi Zeng, Yu Liu, Jinqun Hu, Fanrong Liang, Jie Yang, Jiao Chen

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Frontiers in endocrinology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Revisited: Novel Insights and Updates.International journal of medical sciences · 2026
    Review
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Tianyu Wu *School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Guixing Xu *School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Xiaojuan Hong *School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Huaying FanSchool of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Jiuzhi ZengCenter of Reproductive Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Yu LiuSchool of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Jinqun HuSchool of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Fanrong LiangSchool of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Jie YangSchool of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Jiao ChenSchool of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objective: To explore whether acupuncture combined with clomiphene can reduce the luteinizing hormone-to follicle-stimulating hormone ratio and impact the gut microbiota in patients with obese polycystic ovary syndrome. Methods: This open-label, randomized, parallel-group controlled trial included 86 women aged 20-40 years with obese polycystic ovary syndrome and 19 healthy controls. Participants were randomly assigned to either an acupuncture combined with clomiphene group or a clomiphene-only group, with a healthy control group for comparison. The treatment lasted three menstrual cycles, with acupuncture administered three times weekly and clomiphene given daily from day five of menstruation for five consecutive days per cycle. The primary outcome was the change in the luteinizing hormone-to-follicle-stimulating hormone (LH/FSH) ratio. Secondary outcomes included levels of other sex hormones, glucose and lipid metabolism parameters, self-rating anxiety and depression scale scores, and gut microbiota composition. Results: Intention-to-treat analysis showed that the adjusted mean luteinizing hormone-to follicle-stimulating hormone ratio decrease was -0.8 (95% CI: -1.14 to -0.46) in the acupuncture combined with clomiphene group and -0.22 (95% CI: -0.47 to 0.01) in the clomiphene group. The adjusted between-group difference was 0.53 (95% CI: 0.24 to 0.82, Conclusion: Acupuncture combined with clomiphene may be safe and effective, reduce the luteinizing hormone-to follicle-stimulating hormone ratio, and improve insulin resistance in obese polycystic ovary syndrome, and these outcomes may be related to the gut microbiota.

Indexed as

Acupuncture TherapyFollicle Stimulating HormoneGastrointestinal MicrobiomeLuteinizing HormoneObesityPolycystic Ovary SyndromeAdultClomipheneCombined Modality TherapyFemaleHumansYoung AdultClomipheneFollicle Stimulating HormoneLuteinizing Hormoneacupuncturegut microbiotahormonal readinessobese polycystic ovary syndromerandomized controlled trial

Identifiers

PMID39749020
PMCPMC11693447

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.