Traditional Chinese Medicine for Diminished Ovarian Reserve: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Objective To assess the effectiveness and safety of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)for women with diminished ovarian reserve(DOR).Methods A literature search was conducted in eight electronic databases for randomized controlled trials.Results Seventeen randomized controlled trials involving 1174 patients were included.Meta-analysis indicated that TCM was superior to Western medicine(WM)in reducing basal serum FSH level[MD=-1.70,95%CI(-2.63,-0.77);P=0.0004]and FSH/LH(MD=-0.43,95%CI[-0.56,-0.30];P=0.0001),and the effect was more obvious two months after the last treatment(MD=-4.60,95%CI[-6.26,-2.90],P<0.000 01 and MD=-0.56,95%CI[-0.85,-0.28],P=0.0001),and increasing antral follicle count(AFC)(MD=0.44,95%CI[0.04-0.83];P=0.03).The review also revealed the positive role of CMM as an adjuvant to IVF-ET in improving pregnancy rate(PR=1.75,95%CI[1.25,2.46];P=0.001).Conclusion TCM,with its unique way of replenishing the kidney,may provide an effective and safe alternative therapy to patients with DOR.