Table 1.
Characteristics of the included studies.
| Author, Year | Location | Sample size / Gender | Mean Age | Interventions | Follow up | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T(M/F) | C(M/F) | T | C | T | Sessions/ Duration (n/ws) |
C | Measurement Time Points (ws) |
|||
| Berman 2004 [26] | USA | 190(70/120) | 189(62/127) | 65.2±8.4 | 65.1±8.8 | EA | 23/26 | EDU | 4/8/14/26 | 26ws |
| 191(73/118) | 66.2±8.7 | SN | ||||||||
| Berman 1999 [27] | USA | 36 | 37 | 65.7±7.95 | 65.5±9.13 | MA | 16/8 | WL | 4/8/12 | 12ws |
| Zhou 2017[18] | China | 54(25/29) | 56(23/33) | 65±6 | 63±6 | FN | 12/4 | EA | 4/8 | NA |
| Hinman 2014[28] | Australia | 70(38/32) | 71(31/40) | 64.3±8.6 | 62.7±8.7 | MA | 8,12/12 | SN | 12/26 | 12ms |
| Lu 2014[17] | China | 30(16/14) | 30(18/12) | 58.93±9.26 | 59.10±7.85 | EA | 24/8 | WN | 8 | NA |
| Manheimer 2006 [29] | USA | 190(70/120) | 189(62/127) | 65.2±8.4 | 65.1±8.8 | MA | 16,12/8,12 | EDU | 4/8/14/26 | 26ws |
| 191(73/118) | 66.2±8.7 | SN | ||||||||
| Sangdee 2002 [9] | Thailand | 48(10/38) | 49(10/39) | 65.10±3.4 | 61.84±8.95 | EA | 12/4 | SN | 4 | 4ws |
| Zhang 2013 [16] | China | 33(13/20) | 34(14/20) | 57±8 | 58±9 | FN | 12/4 | WN | 4 | NA |
| Scharf 2006 [10] | Germany | 326(106/220) | 365(110/255) | 62.8±9.9 | 63.0±10.1 | MA | 10/6 | SN | 13/26 | 26ws |
| Takeda 1994 [11] | Canada | 20(10/10) | 20(10/10) | 63.0±8.78 | 60.2±9.75 | MA | 9/3 | SN | 3/7 | 4ws |
| Vas 2004 [12] | Spain | 48(11/37) | 49(5/44) | 65.7±11.0 | 68.4±9.1 | EA | 12/12 | SN | 13 | 12ws |
| Fan 2016 [30] | China | 54(21/33) | 54(24/30) | 58 ± 6.2 | 56 ± 8.4 | FN | 8/4 | WN | 1/4 | NA |
| Wang 2017 [13] | China | 25 | 21 | 61±6 | 58±7 | WN | 12/3 | WL | 3 | 6ds |
| Chen 2013 [14] | USA | 104(51/53) | 109(52/57) | 60.5±11.1 | 60.4±11.7 | EA | 12/⩽12 | SN | 12/26 | 26ws |
| Jubb 2008 [31] | USA | 34 | 35 | 64.1±1.6 | 66.1±1.9 | EA | 10/5 | SN | 9 | 9ms |
| Gao 2012 [15] | China | 34(13/21) | 35(15/20) | 57.7±8.7 | 58.6±8.9 | EA | 24/8 | WN | 4/8 | NA |
M: male; F: female; T: treatment group; C: control group; NA: not available; EA: electro-acupuncture; SN: sham needle; MA: manual acupuncture; WN: warm needle; FN: fire needle; WL: waiting list; EDU: education; n: number; ws: weeks; ms: months; ds: days.