Table 3.
Subgroup analyses for the effect of acupuncture on premature ovary inefficiency.
| Continuous outcomes | Subgroups | Studies | SMD (95%CI) | I2 (%) | P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LH | Overall | 15 | −1.96 (−3.10 to −0.82) | 89.1 | 0.001 | |
| Type of intervention | Acupuncture | 8 | −2.71 (−6.86 to 1.44) | 90.9 | 0.001 | |
| Acupuncture plus TCM | 2 | −0.64 (−1.10 to −0.18) | 46.4 | 0.17 | ||
| Acupuncture plus HRT | 2 | −6.80 (−13.84 to 0.23) | 54.2 | 0.14 | ||
| Needle acupuncture | 1 | 0.07 (−2.97 to 3.11) | – | – | ||
| Needle acupuncture plus TCM | 1 | −0.22 (−0.48 to 0.04) | – | – | ||
| Electroacupuncture plus TCM | 2 | −1.29 (−1.60 to −0.98) | 0.0 | 0.99 | ||
| Auricular points plus TCM | 1 | −1.46 (−3.26 to 0.34) | – | – | ||
| Acupoint catgut embedding plus TCM | 1 | −0.40 (−2.84 to 2.06) | – | – | ||
| Warm acupuncture | 1 | 0.32 (−5.64 to 6.28) | – | – | ||
| Acupuncture and moxibustion | 1 | −5.81 (−7.42 to −4.20) | – | – | ||
| Moxibustion plus TCM | 1 | 0.84 (−0.47 to 1.23) | – | – | ||
| Quality of studies | Low | 5 | −1.97 (−4.77 to 0.83) | 89.2 | 0.001 | |
| Moderate | 7 | −2.41 (−5.65 to 0.84) | 93.1 | 0.001 | ||
| High | 3 | −1.78 (−4.60 to 1.01) | 34.6 | 0.21 | ||
| Sample size | ≥1,000 participants | 4 | −2.68 (−8.38 to 3.03) | 96.4 | 0.001 | |
| <1,000 participants | 11 | −0.80 (−1.31 to −0.28) | 39.3 | 0.08 | ||
| Duration of treatment | NR | 5 | −3.91 (−6.46 to −1.36) | 59.3 | 0.04 | |
| ≥5 months | 5 | −0.88 (−5.32 to 3.55) | 85.1 | 0.001 | ||
| <5 months | 5 | −1.68 (−2.81 to −0.55) | 91.5 | 0.001 | ||
| FSH | Overall | 17 | −3.05 (−3.89 to −2.20) | 94.5 | 0.001 | |
| Type of intervention | Acupuncture | 11 | −4.84 (−7.60 to −2.08) | 96.2 | 0.001 | |
| Acupuncture plus TCM | 3 | −0.70 (−1.31 to −0.09) | 61.1 | 0.07 | ||
| Acupuncture plus HRT | 3 | −5.79 (−11.19 to −0.40) | 67.1 | 0.05 | ||
| Needle acupuncture | 1 | −9.08 (−12.60 to −5.56) | – | – | ||
| Needle acupuncture plus TCM | 1 | −0.62 (−1.02 to −0.22) | – | – | ||
| Electroacupuncture plus TCM | 2 | −1.17 (−1.38 to −0.97) | 0.0 | 0.88 | ||
| Auricular points plus TCM | 1 | −2.19 (−2.97 to −1.41) | – | – | ||
| Acupoint catgut embedding | 2 | −0.77 (−37.14 to 35.60) | 95.5 | 0.001 | ||
| Acupoint catgut embedding plus TCM | 1 | −0.72 (−2.13 to 0.69) | – | – | ||
| Acupoint catgut embedding plus HRT | 1 | −10.05 (−22.09 to 1.97) | – | – | ||
| Warm acupuncture | 1 | 2.50 (−5.67 to 10.67) | – | – | ||
| Acupuncture and moxibustion | 3 | 3.15 (−4.52 to 10.83) | 87.0 | 0.002 | ||
| Moxibustion | 1 | 2.32 (−5.84 to 10.48) | – | – | ||
| Moxibustion plus TCM | 1 | −0.02 (−0.38 to 0.34) | – | – | ||
| Quality of studies | Low | 5 | −6.15 (−10.39 to −1.90) | 94.3 | 0.001 | |
| Moderate | 9 | −2.75 (−4.61 to −0.90) | 95.5 | 0.001 | ||
| High | 3 | −2.55 (−4.44 to −0.65) | 90.4 | 0.001 | ||
| Sample size | ≥1,000 participants | 5 | −3.87 (−10.72 to 2.98) | 97.2 | 0.001 | |
| <1,000 participants | 12 | −2.50 (−3.23 to −1.77) | 91.6 | 0.001 | ||
| Duration of treatment | NR | 5 | −7.59 (−10.74 to −4.44) | 71.0 | 0.008 | |
| ≥5 months | 5 | −1.30 (−5.05 to 2.44) | 95.5 | 0.001 | ||
| <5 months | 7 | −1.96 (−2.79 to −1.14) | 94.9 | 0.001 | ||
| Estradiol (E2) | Overall | 15 | 4.03 (2.01 to 6.05) | 95.5 | 0.001 | |
| Type of intervention | Acupuncture | 9 | 6.59 (2.38 to 10.80) | 97.4 | 0.001 | |
| Acupuncture plus TCM | 2 | 0.40 (−0.79 to 1.60) | 55.3 | 0.13 | ||
| Acupuncture plus HRT | 2 | 3.00 (−4.29 to 10.28) | 30.1 | 0.23 | ||
| Needle acupuncture | 1 | 1.37 (−3.08 to 5.82) | – | – | ||
| Needle acupuncture plus TCM | 1 | 0.60 (0.14 to 1.06) | – | – | ||
| Electroacupuncture plus TCM | 2 | 0.63 (−0.40 to 1.66) | 0.0 | 0.87 | ||
| Auricular points plus TCM | 1 | 1.63 (1.21 to 2.05) | – | – | ||
| Acupoint catgut embedding | 1 | 8.06 (−10.88 to −5.24) | – | – | ||
| Acupoint catgut embedding plus TCM | 1 | 1.32 (0.69 to 1.95) | – | – | ||
| Warm acupuncture | 1 | 4.60 (−24.55 to 15.35) | – | – | ||
| Acupuncture and moxibustion | 2 | 13.35 (−7.32 to 34.02) | 87.4 | 0.05 | ||
| Moxibustion plus TCM | 1 | 0.64 (0.27 to 1.01) | – | – | ||
| Quality of studies | Low | 5 | 11.99 (3.67 to 20.32) | 87.9 | 0.001 | |
| Moderate | 7 | 4.37 (0.51 to 8.31) | 97.9 | 0.001 | ||
| High | 3 | 0.62 (−1.15 to 2.39) | 66.4 | 0.05 | ||
| Sample size | ≥1,000 participants | 4 | 4.64 (−10.55 to 19.84) | 98.8 | 0.001 | |
| <1,000 participants | 11 | 0.98 (0.17 to 1.80) | 71.9 | 0.0.001 | ||
| Duration of treatment | NR | 4 | 25.90 (17.84 to 33.95) | 0.0 | 0.86 | |
| ≥5 months | 5 | 0.14 (−2.50 to 2.78) | 79.0 | 0.001 | ||
| <5 months | 6 | 4.65 (1.68 to 7.62) | 98.2 | 0.001 |
SMD, standardized mean difference; TCM, traditional Chinese medicine; NR, not reported; HRT, hormone replacement therapy; LH, luteinizing hormone; FSH, follicle stimulating hormone.