| Study | Reason for exclusion |
|---|---|
| An 2009 | No outcomes of interest |
| An 2012 | Diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Arentz 2014 | Review |
| Arentz 2017a | PCOS with and without infertility |
| Arentz 2017b | This is conference data and duplicates the published article |
| Bablis 2006 | Case report |
| Bai 2011 | Non‐randomised controlled trial (RCT) |
| Bao 2009 | No outcomes of interest; polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) with or without infertility in this study |
| Bao 2014 | No Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) intervention |
| Bei 2010 | Non‐RCT, which the primary study authors confirmed |
| Cai 2006 | Adolescent PCOS without infertility; no outcomes of interest |
| Cai 2011 | Quasi‐RCT, which the primary study authors confirmed |
| Cai 2012 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Cai 2014 | Not a RCT |
| Cao 2010 | Non‐RCT, which the primary study authors confirmed |
| Cao 2012 | Non‐RCT, which the primary study authors confirmed |
| Chan CC 2006 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Chan LY 2006 | Non‐CHM intervention |
| Chen 2005 | PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Chen 2007 | Intervention with acupuncture but without herbal medicine |
| Chen 2008 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Chen 2009 | Intervention with acupuncture but without herbal medicine |
| Chen 2013 | Non‐PCOS participants |
| Chen 2015 | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Chen 2016 | Non‐CHM intervention |
| Chen 2017 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Cheng 2009 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Cheng 2014 | Non‐CHM intervention |
| Cheng 2015 | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Chen H 2010 | No outcomes of interest |
| Chen JL 2006 | PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Chen JX 2017 | Diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Chen L 2006 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria; quasi‐RCT |
| Chen LS 2012 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria; quasi‐RCT |
| Chen N 2012 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Chen PL 2011 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Chen QZ 2014 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Chen R 2014 | Non‐CHM intervention |
| Chen RJ 2012 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Chen RR 2011 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Chen WY 2012 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Chen XF 2011 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Chen XF 2017 | Diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Chen XH 2010 | No outcomes of interest |
| Chen Y 2014 | Not a RCT |
| ChiCTR1800016219 | no interventions of interest |
| ChiCTR1800016792 | no interventions of interest |
| ChiCTR1800018597 | No outcomes of interest |
| ChiCTR‐IOR‐16008557 | PCOS with and without infertility; PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| ChiCTR‐IOR‐16008557 a | Duplicate with ChiCTR‐IOR‐16008557, and PCOS with and without infertility; PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| ChiCTR‐IPR‐16009166 | PCOS with and without infertility |
| Chou 2018 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Chu 2013 | Non‐PCOS participants |
| Craig 2015 | Non‐CHM intervention |
| Cui 2012 | PCOS with or without infertility; no outcomes of interest |
| Cui 2017 | Non‐CHM intervention |
| Dang 2012 | Non‐RCT, which the primary authors confirmed |
| Deng 2008 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria; quasi‐RCT |
| Deng 2016 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Deng 2018 | Diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Deveci 2015 | Non‐CHM intervention |
| Ding 2015 | Unrelated study |
| Dong 2009 | No outcomes of interest |
| Dong 2010 | No outcomes of interest |
| Du 2012 | PCOS with or without infertility; no outcomes of interest |
| Du 2013 | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Fan 2017 | No outcomes of interest |
| Fang 2004 | No outcomes of interest |
| Feng 2009a | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Feng 2009b | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Feng J 2011 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Feng X 2011 | Non‐RCT confirmed by primary authors |
| Fu 2012 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria; PCOS with or without infertility in this study; no outcomes of interest |
| Fu BJ 2019 | No outcomes of interest |
| Fu JR 2019 | Diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Gao 2009 | Intervention with acupuncture but without herbal medicine |
| Gao XL 2011 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria; quasi‐RCT |
| Gao YH 2011 | PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Ghavi 2015 | With or without subfertility |
| Gong 2012 | PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Grant 2010 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Gu 2015 | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Guo 2008 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Guo 2009 | PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Guo AP 2011 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria; quasi‐RCT |
| Guo SX 2011 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Haidari 2020 | PCOS with and without infertility; participants had no wish to conceive; no outcomes of interest |
| Haj‐Husein 2016 | Women with or without subfertility |
| Han 2008 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria; quasi‐RCT |
| Han 2011 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria; quasi‐RCT |
| Han 2015 | Not a RCT |
| Han M 2013 | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Han SX 2013 | Not a RCT |
| Hao 2012 | Quasi‐RCT, which the primary authors confirmed |
| Harman 2001 | Non‐PCOS |
| Hassanzadeh Bashtian 2013 | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| He 2009 | PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| He 2010 | Quasi‐RCT |
| He 2014 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Heshmati 2020 | PCOS with and without infertility; participants had no wish to conceive; no outcomes of interest |
| Hou 2000 | No outcomes of interest |
| Hu 2009a | Intervention with acupuncture but without herbal medicine; PCOS with and without infertility |
| Hu 2009b | Intervention with acupuncture but without herbal medicine |
| Hu 2014 | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Hua 2003 | Case control study |
| Huang 2004 | Quasi‐RCT confirmed by primary authors |
| Huang 2007 | PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Huang 2008 | Review |
| Huang 2010 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Huang DL 2011 | No outcomes of interest |
| Huang L 2012 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Huang LH 2011 | No outcomes of interest |
| Huang LY 2006 | Non‐RCT confirmed by primary authors |
| Huang XT 2012 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Huang YL 2019 | Diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Huang YY 2006 | PCOS without infertility; quasi‐RCT; no outcomes of interest |
| Huang YZ 2019 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Hung 2016 | Cohort study |
| Huo 2008 | Unrelated |
| IRCT2017082016911N4 | No outcomes of interest |
| Jalilian 2013 | Non‐CHM intervention |
| Jamilian 2020 | PCOS with and without infertility; participants had no wish to conceive; no outcomes of interest |
| Jia, 2019 | Quasi‐RCT; PCOS with and without infertility |
| Jia 2004 | Diagnosis inconsistent with Rotterdam; quasi‐RCT |
| Jia 2008 | Concurrent control study |
| Jia 2010 | PCOS with or without infertility; PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Jia CM 2012 | No outcomes of interest |
| Jian 2011 | No outcomes of interest |
| Jiang 2007 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria; quasi‐RCT |
| Jiang 2014 | Non‐PCOS participants |
| Jiang 2015 | Non‐CHM intervention |
| Jiang JH 2011 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Jiang MF 2011 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Jia WH 2012 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria; quasi‐RCT; no outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Jin 2017 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Jin CL 2014 | Non‐CHM intervention |
| Jing 2017 | No outcomes of interest |
| Jin JH 2016 | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Jin XT 2014 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Johnson 2015 | Non‐CHM intervention |
| Kang 2012 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Kawakami 2011 | Unrelated |
| Kitagawa 2015 | Non‐PCOS participants |
| Kort 2014 | With or without subfertility |
| Kuang 2012 | Quasi‐RCT, which the primary authors confirmed |
| Kuang 2013 | Non‐CHM intervention |
| Kuang 2015 | Non‐CHM intervention |
| Kuek 2011 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Lai 2006 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility; PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Lai 2011 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Lai 2014a | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Lai 2014b | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Lai 2014c | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Lai 2015a | Review |
| Lai 2015b | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Lai 2015c | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Lai 2015d | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Lai 2017 | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| León‐Gonzalez 2014 | Unrelated |
| Li 2000 | PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Li 2002 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Li 2005 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria; quasi‐RCT |
| Li 2009 | Duplication |
| Li 2011a | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Li 2011b | PCOS with or without infertility; no outcomes of interest |
| Li 2015 | Non‐CHM intervention |
| Li 2018a | Diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Li 2018b | PCOS with and without infertility |
| Li 2019a | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Li 2019b | Quasi‐RCT; patients with and without infertility |
| Lian 2008 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Lian 2012 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Liang 2011 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Liang 2017 | Diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Liang 2019 | PCOS with and without infertility；Participants had no wish to conceive；No outcomes of interest |
| Liang HY 2018 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Liang XQ 2018 | Diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Liao 2014 | Non‐CHM intervention |
| Li B 2010 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility; PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Li C 2011 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility; PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Li FY 2010 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Li FY 2011 | PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Li HC 2011 | No outcomes of interest |
| Li HX 2011 | No outcomes of interest |
| Li HX 2012 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Li J 2012 | No outcomes of interest |
| Li JY 2017 | No outcomes of interest |
| Li K 2017 | Non‐CHM intervention |
| Li L 2009 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Lim 2011 | Review |
| Li M 2016 | With and without PCOS |
| Lin 2005 | Non‐RCT, which the primary authors confirmed |
| Lin 2011 | We were unable to contact the study authors for the detailed information about the laparoscopic surgery method |
| Li N 2013 | Non‐CHM intervention |
| Lin 2017 | PCOS with and without infertility |
| Lin 2017a | PCOS with and without infertility；No outcomes of interest |
| Lin BQ 2013 | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Lin H 2013 | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Lin HM 2009 | Non‐RCT, which was confirmed by the author |
| Lin HM 2013 | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Lin Y 2009 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Li Q 2016 | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Li SP 2011 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Li SZ 2010 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Liu 2007 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria; quasi‐RCT |
| Liu 2008 | Unrelated |
| Liu 2009 | Diagnosis inconsistent with Rotterdam; quasi‐RCT |
| Liu 2017 | No outcomes of interest |
| Liu 2018 | Diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria；PCOS with and without infertility |
| Liu B 2017 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Liu CN 2017 | PCOS with and without infertility |
| Liu DP 2011 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Liu GY 2010 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Liu HL 2011 | Quasi‐RCT; no outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Liu HX 2016 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Liu JJ 2016 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Liu Q 2014 | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Liu RX 2010 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Liu XL 2014 | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Liu XX 2010 | Non‐RCT, which the primary study authors confirmed |
| Liu XX 2012 | No outcomes of interest |
| Liu Y 2013 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Liu YH 2010 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Liu YP 2012 | No outcomes of interest |
| Liu YQ 2012 | No outcomes of interest |
| Li XB 2011 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Li XH 2011 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Li XL 2009 | PCOS without infertility |
| Li XP 2011 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Li XW 2009 | No outcomes of interest |
| Li XY 2017 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Li Y 2013 | Participants had no wish to conceive; protocol |
| Li YL 2011 | No outcomes of interest |
| Li ZZ 2010 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Lu 2010 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Lu 2012 | Diagnosis inconsistent with Rotterdam; quasi‐RCT |
| Lu 2018 | Diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Luo, 2019 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Luo 2010 | No outcomes of interest |
| Luo 2014 | Not a RCT |
| Luo 2018 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Luo 2019 | PCOS with and without infertility ;No outcomes of interest |
| Lv 2007 | Intervention with acupuncture but without herbal medicine |
| Lv 2009 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Lv 2010 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Ma 2009 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Ma 2010 | No outcomes of interest |
| Ma 2017 | Diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Ma 2018 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Madder 2013 | Review |
| Mao 2003 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria; quasi‐RCT |
| Mao XG 2011 | No outcomes of interest |
| Mao XH 2011 | Non‐RCT, which the primary authors confirmed |
| Mei 2010 | PCOS with or without infertility |
| Men 2017 | All interventions were CHM, while no this review intrested intervention |
| Meng 2011 | No outcomes of interest; part of the study was about animals |
| Miao 2012 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria; quasi‐RCT; PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Ming‐Wei 2011 | Non‐PCOS participants |
| Mohammad Hosseinzadeh 2016 | Non‐CHM intervention |
| Moradan 2012 | Review |
| Mosalanejad 2015 | Not a RCT |
| Motoo 2014 | SR |
| Musumeci 2006 | Review |
| Naeimi 2020 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| NCT01116167 | this protocol has completed and duplicated with the published article |
| NCT03264638 | this protocol has completed and duplicated with the published article; PCOS with and without infertility |
| Nie 2018 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| O'Brien 2010 | Unrelated |
| Pan 2010 | No outcomes of interest |
| Pan 2012 | No outcomes of interest |
| Pastore 2011 | Non‐CHM intervention |
| Pazyar 2012 | Unrelated study |
| Pei 2012 | PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Peng 2012 | No outcomes of interest |
| Qiao 2012 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Qin 2016 | PCOS with and without infertility |
| Qiu 2006 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Qu 2015 | Unrelated |
| Qv 2011 | PCOS with or without infertility |
| Ran 2008 | Case control study |
| Ran MX 2007 | No outcomes of interest |
| Ran XM 2007 | Case control study |
| Rao 2012 | No PCOS |
| Rashidi 2013 | Non CHM intervention |
| Ren, 2019 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Ren 2002a | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria; quasi‐RCT |
| Ren 2002b | Duplication |
| Ren 2006 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Ren 2008 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Ren 2011 | PCOS with or without infertility |
| Ren 2013 | No PCOS |
| Ren 2014 | SR |
| Ren 2019 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Ried 2015 | SR |
| Ruan 2016 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Sadrefozalayi 2014 | Animals |
| Salah 2013 | Non‐CHM intervention |
| See 2011 | SR |
| Shah 2016 | Non‐CHM intervention |
| Shao 2004 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Shao 2006 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Shen 2008 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Shen 2013 | Participants were not subfertile |
| Sheng 2010 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Sheng 2018 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Shi 2009a | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Shi 2009b | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Shi 2011 | PCOS with or without infertility; PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Shi 2016 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Shi 2017 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Shi F 2010 | No outcomes of interest |
| Shi LJ 2010 | PCOS with or without infertility |
| Shu 2012 | No outcomes of interest |
| Si 2016 | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Sohaei 2019 | PCOS with and without infertility;Participants had no wish to conceive; No outcomes of interest |
| Song 2010 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Song 2011 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria; no outcomes of interest |
| Stone 2009 | Case report |
| Su 2012 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Sui 2011 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria; no outcomes of interest |
| Sun 2011 | PCOS with or without infertility |
| Sun 2012 | PCOS with or without infertility; quasi‐RCT |
| Sun 2014 | No CHM intervention |
| Sun C 2010 | PCOS with or without infertility |
| Sun FX 2016 | Diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Sun J 2009 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria; quasi‐RCT |
| Sun L 2016 | Diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Sun W 2010 | Intervention with acupuncture but without herbal medicine |
| Sun Y 2009 | No outcomes of interest |
| Talaat 2018 | PCOS with and without infertility; No outcomes of interest |
| Tan 2005 | Diagnosis inconsistent with Rotterdam; quasi‐RCT |
| Tan 2012 | SR |
| Tang 2012 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Tao 2003 | Diagnosis inconsistent with Rotterdam; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Tao 2006 | Concurrent control study |
| Tao 2008 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Tao 2009 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Tao 2010 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Tao 2011 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Tao 2017 | Diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Tian 2017 | PCOS with and without infertility |
| Tong 2017 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Ulbricht 2016 | SR |
| Ushiroyama 2001 | Diagnosis inconsistent with Rotterdam, participants including PCOS and non‐PCOS |
| Ushiroyama 2006 | Diagnosis inconsistent with Rotterdam |
| Vajda 2013 | Not a RCT |
| van Oppen 2015 | Non‐PCOS |
| Wan 2012 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Wang 2006a | PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Wang 2006b | Quasi‐RCT |
| Wang 2011a | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Wang 2011b | No outcomes of interest |
| Wang 2013 | No CHM intervention |
| Wang 2017 | Conference paper; No CHM intervention |
| Wang 2019 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria；PCOS with and without infertility |
| Wang CX 2016 | Diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Wang JL 2009 | Intervention with acupuncture but without herbal medicine |
| Wang LL 2016 | No CHM intervention |
| Wang NS 2011 | PCOS with or without infertility |
| Wang Q 2010 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Wang Q 2011 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Wang Q 2012 | PCOS with or without infertility |
| Wang QH 2012 | PCOS with or without infertility; quasi‐RCT |
| Wang YH 2005 | Before‐and‐after study |
| Wang YH 2010 | PCOS with or without infertility; quasi‐RCT |
| Wang YL 2005 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria; quasi‐RCT |
| Wei 2008 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Wei 2018 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Wei CL 2011 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Wei XX 2011 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria; PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Wei YQ 2011 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility; diagnosis inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Wong 2017 | PCOS with and without infertility |
| Wu 2008 | PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Wu 2011 | PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Wu 2016 | No CHM, berberine is a purified chemical |
| Wu 2017 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Wu 2019 | PCOS with and without infertility |
| Wu CC 2012 | Non‐CHM intervention |
| Wu D 2012 | PCOS with or without infertility; no outcomes of interest |
| Wu MY 2010 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Wuttke 2015 | Non‐PCOS participants |
| Wu XY 2010 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Wu Y 2013 | Non‐PCOS participants |
| Wu YY 2013 | No CHM intervention |
| Xia 2004 | No outcomes of interest |
| Xia 2007 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Xia 2011 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Xiao 2014 | No CHM intervention |
| Xie 2005 | Diagnosis inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Xie 2010 | PCOS with or without infertility |
| Xie 2012 | PCOS with or without infertility |
| Xin, 2019 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Xiong 2012 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Xiong 2018 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Xu, 2019 | Diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Xu 2009 | PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Xu 2012 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Xu 2018 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Xu 2019 | Diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Xu BH 2016 | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Xu DW 2010 | No outcomes of interest |
| Xue 2004 | Diagnosis inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria; quasi‐RCT |
| Xu HO 2008 | Diagnosis inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria; quasi‐RCT |
| Xu JH 2008 | PCOS with or without infertility |
| Xu QZ 2016 | PCOS with and without infertility |
| Xu RQ 2017 | PCOS with and without infertility |
| Xu SQ 2010 | PCOS with or without infertility |
| Xu ZZ 2017 | No outcomes of interest |
| Yan 2003 | Duplication |
| Yan 2005 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Yan 2012 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria; quasi‐RCT |
| Yang 2005 | Intervention with acupuncture but without herbal medicine |
| Yang 2008 | Animal study |
| Yang 2011 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria; PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Yang 2015 | No CHM intervention |
| Yang 2017a | No outcomes of interest |
| Yang 2017b | This dissertation was duplicated with the published article |
| Yang D 2014 | No CHM intervention |
| Yang GM 2010 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Yang H 2014 | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Yang JB 2010 | No outcomes of interest; quasi‐RCT |
| Yang LF 2017 | Diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Yang P 2010 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria; no outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Yang Y 2016 | PCOS with and without infertility |
| Yang YQ 2016 | Diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Yao 2011 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Yao XY 2012 | Quasi‐RCT; no outcomes of interest |
| Yao Y 2012 | PCOS with or without infertility |
| Ye 2004 | PCOS with or without infertility; diagnosis inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Ye 2010 | PCOS with or without infertility; no outcomes of interest |
| Ye 2015 | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Ye 2017 | No outcomes of interest |
| Ye 2018 | PCOS with and without infertility；No outcomes of interest |
| Ye HJ 2012 | No outcomes of interest |
| Ye YY 2012 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria; no outcomes of interest; quasi‐RCT |
| Yi 2012 | PCOS with or without infertility |
| Yi 2017 | Diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria;PCOS with and without infertility |
| Yin 2007 | Laparoscopic ovary wedgeshaped resection was used in this study |
| Ying L 2016 | PCOS with and without infertility |
| Ying Z 2016 | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Yu 2013 | With or without subfertility |
| Yu 2015 | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Yu 2018 | No outcomes of interest |
| Yu 2019 | Diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria；patients with and without infertility |
| Yuan 2011 | No outcomes of interest |
| Yuan 2016 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Yuan 2018 | No outcomes of interest |
| Yv 2011 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Zeng 2007 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria; quasi‐RCT |
| Zeng 2012 | No interventions of interest |
| Zhang 2007a | Duplication |
| Zhang 2009 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Zhang 2011a | Not a RCT |
| Zhang 2011b | No outcomes of interest |
| Zhang 2015a | With or without subfertility |
| Zhang 2015b | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Zhang 2015c | Animals |
| Zhang 2016 | Diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Zhang 2019a | Diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Zhang 2019b | Diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria；patients with and without infertility |
| Zhang FC 2007 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Zhang H 2007b | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Zhang H 2010 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria; no outcomes of interest |
| Zhang H 2014 | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Zhang HH 2011 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Zhang HM 2011 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Zhang J 2011 | Non‐RCT, which the primary authors confirmed |
| Zhang JH 2018 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Zhang JJ 2012 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Zhang JX 2015 | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Zhang L 2010 | No outcomes of interest |
| Zhang LM 2003 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility;diagnosis inconsistent with Rotterdam;quasi‐RCT |
| Zhang LX 2012 | PCOS with or without infertility; no outcomes of interest |
| Zhang M 2010 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Zhang MM 2003 | Concurrent control study |
| Zhang Q 2010 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Zhang SM 2018 | No outcomes of interest |
| Zhang T 2010 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria; no outcomes of interest |
| Zhang TH 2011 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Zhang TY 2012 | No outcomes of interest; quasi‐RCT |
| Zhang XY 2014 | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Zhang Y 2007 | PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Zhang YH 2012 | PCOS with or without infertility; no outcomes of interest |
| Zhao 2006a | Intervention without herbal medicine |
| Zhao 2006b | Intervention without herbal medicine |
| Zhao 2007 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Zhao 2009 | Concurrent control study; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Zhao 2014 | No interventions of interest |
| Zhao 2016 | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Zhao 2019 | Diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Zhao CP 2006 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Zhao H 2008 | Duplication |
| Zhao HB 2008 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Zhao J 2010 | No outcomes of interest |
| Zhao XL 2010 | Non‐RCT confirmed by primary authors |
| Zhao Y 2008 | Intervention without herbal medicine |
| Zheng 2011 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Zheng 2011a | PCOS with or without infertility |
| Zheng 2011b | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Zheng 2014a | Quasi‐RCT |
| Zheng 2014b | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Zheng 2018 | Diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Zheng GJ 2011 | PCOS with or without infertility |
| Zheng SJ 2015 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Zheng XH 2015 | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Zhi 2012 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Zhong 2006 | PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Zhong 2008 | PCOS with or without infertility |
| Zhong 2012 | Non‐RCT, which the primary study authors confirmed |
| Zhong 2016 | Diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Zhong XC 2009 | PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Zhong XL2009 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility in this study |
| Zhou 1996 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Zhou 2010a | PCOS with or without infertility |
| Zhou 2010b | Non‐RCT, which the primary authors confirmed |
| Zhou 2016 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Zhou F 2015 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Zhou FB 2014 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Zhou JH 2012 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
| Zhou LL 2012 | No outcomes of interest |
| Zhou M 2015 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Zhou MS 2018 | No outcomes of interest |
| Zhou WQ 2018 | PCOS with and without infertility |
| Zhou XL 2012 | No outcomes of interest |
| Zhou XY 2012 | PCOS with or without infertility |
| Zhou YX 2014 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Zhou Z 2014 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Zhu 2009 | Concurrent control study |
| Zhu 2014 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Zhu 2019 | Diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Zhu 2020 | Diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Zhuang 2008 | PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Zhu JQ 2012 | PCOS with or without infertility; no outcomes of interest |
| Zhu M 2012 | No outcomes of interest |
| Zhu TC 2013 | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Zhu Y 2013 | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Zou 2012 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility; PCOS diagnosis is inconsistent with Rotterdam criteria |
| Zou L 2014 | Participants had no wish to conceive |
| Zou Y 2014 | Quasi‐RCT |
| Zuo 2011 | No outcomes of interest; PCOS with or without infertility |
Abbreviations: RCT: randomised controlled trial, CHM: Chinese herbal medicine, PCOS: polycystic ovarian syndrome, SR: systematic review.