Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41837144›Full record

Trial reportFrontiers in endocrinology2026

Effect of acupuncture for poor ovarian response: a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

Chenchen Su, Xiaoyan Wang, Xin Liu, Li Yang, Tongsheng Su, Huidan Wang, Yu Li, Cui Zhao, Cuilian Zhang, Wenpei Xiang and 5 more

Abstract readMulticenter StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Frontiers in endocrinology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Chenchen Su *Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Xiaoyan Wang *Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Xin Liu *Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Li YangInstitute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Tongsheng SuDepartment of Acupuncture, Shaanxi Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
Huidan WangState Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Women, Children and Reproductive Health, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.
Yu LiSun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Cui ZhaoThe First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Key Laboratory for Reproductive Medicine and Embryo, Lanzhou, Gansu, China.
Cuilian ZhangReproductive Medicine Center, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
Wenpei XiangInstitute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Guoqing TongReproductive Medicine Center, Shuguang Affiliated Hospital of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Li ChenReproductive Medicine Center, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Fang ZhaoReproductive Medicine Department, Luoyang Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Luoyang, Henan, China.
Huanfang XuInstitute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Yigong FangInstitute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Acupuncture has been explored as a potential intervention for POR; however, high-quality evidence is limited. This multicenter randomized trial evaluated the effect of acupuncture on the number of oocytes retrieved following controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) in women with POR. Methods: This multicenter, randomized, controlled study was conducted at nine tertiary hospitals in China between August 2018 and March 2023, with follow-up extended through March 2024. A total of 140 women aged ≤ 40 years, who met the Bologna criteria and were eligible for the antagonist ovulation induction protocol, were recruited and randomly assigned to either an acupuncture group or a control group. The acupuncture group received 36 acupuncture sessions prior to COH, while the control group received Results: The intention-to-treat population included 140 participants. Following intervention, the number of oocytes retrieved did not differ significantly between the acupuncture group (median [IQR]: 2.00 [1.00-3.00]) and control group (median [IQR]: 2.00 [1.00-4.00]), median between-group difference: 0.00, 95% CI [-1.00, 0.00], Conclusions: This study did not find evidence that acupuncture significantly improves the number of oocytes retrieved in patients with POR. While it was associated with a significantly higher embryo cleavage rate and lower basal FSH levels, acupuncture did not significantly improve clinical pregnancy or live birth rates. Clinical Trial Registration: https://www.chictr.org.cn/, identifier ChiCTR1800017717.

Indexed as

Acupuncture TherapyInfertility, FemaleOvulation InductionAdultChinaFemaleFertilization in VitroHumansLive BirthOocyte RetrievalOocytesOvarian ReservePregnancyPregnancy Rateacupunctureclinical pregnancy ratecontrolled ovarian hyperstimulationpoor ovarian responserandomized controlled trial

Identifiers

PMID41837144
PMCPMC12979076

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

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.