Effect of acupuncture on women with poor ovarian response: study protocol for a multicenter randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Background: Poor ovarian response (POR), a manifestation of low ovarian reserve and ovarian aging , leads to a significantly reduced pregnancy rate after in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) . Acupuncture is effective at improving ovarian reserve. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of acupuncture on increasing the number of retrieved oocytes after controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) in women with POR. Methods: This is a multicenter randomized controlled trial . A total of 140 women with POR will be randomly assigned to receive acupuncture or non-treatment for 12 weeks before COH. The primary outcome will be the number of retrieved oocytes. The secondary outcomes include antral follicle count (AFC), serum level of anti-müllerian hormone (AMH), basal serum levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and estradiol (E2) , the score of the self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), the fertilization rate, the cleavage rate, the available embryo rate and the high-quality embryo rate. The safety of acupuncture will also be assessed. Discussion: The results of this trial will identify the effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of POR. This will provide a new treatment option for POR patients and physicians.