Effect of Acupuncture for Diminished Ovarian Reserve: A Randomized Sham-Controlled Trial
Objective: Acupuncture is a potential intervention for diminished ovarian reserve (DOR); however, the evidence remains limited. This single-center, randomized, sham-acupuncture controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in treating DOR. Methods: ), menstrual cycle length, and self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) scores. Results: , LH, and menstrual cycle length. A statistically significant between-group difference in SAS was noted exclusively at week 24. Treatment related adverse events were mild and infrequent. Conclusion: A 12-week of acupuncture significantly improved AFC in women with DOR compared to sham acupuncture. Further large-scale studies are warranted to confirm these findings and assess long-term outcomes.
Authors
- Hui Xu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5517-3556)
- Yigong Fang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7879-2843)
- Wenhua Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9457-6662)
- Jie Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0973-8645)
- Yaoyao Zhu
- Lingyu Qi
- Xiaoyan Wang
- Ge Lu
- Li Yang
- Pengfei Du
- Chenchen Su
- Xin Liu
- Tian Hang
Institutions
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College (CN)
- China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (CN)
- China Association of Acupuncture-Moxibustion (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- International Journal of Women s Health
- Published
- 2026-04-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.2147/ijwh.s580821
- Primary Topic
- Acupuncture Treatment Research Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences