Effects of electro-acupuncture on anovulation in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Background The present study was designed to evaluate if electro-acupunctur e (EA) could affect oligo-/anovulalion and related endocrine and neuroendoc rine parameters in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (COS). Methods. Twenty-four women (between the ages of 24 and 40 years) with PCOS and oligo-l amenorrhea were included in this non-randomized. longitudinal, prospective study. The study period was defined as the period extending fro m 3 months before the first EA treatment, to 3 months after the last EA tre atment (10-14 treatments). in total 8-9 months. The menstrual and ovulation patterns were confirmed by recording of vaginal bleedings and by daily reg istrations of the basal body temperature (BBT). Blood samples were collecte d within a week before the first EA, within a week after the last EA and 3 months after EA. Results. Nine women (38%) experienced a good effect. They displayed a mean of 0.66 ovulations/woman and month in the period during and after the EA pe riod compared to a mean of 0.15 before the EA period (p=0.004). Before EA, women with a good effect had a significantly lower body-mass index (BMI) (p <0.001), waist-to-hip circumference ratio (WHR) (p=0.0058), serum testoster one concentration (p=0.0098), serum testosterone/sex hormone binding globul in (SHBG) ratio (p=0.011) and serum basal insulin concentration (p=0.0054), and a significantly higher concentration of serum SHBG (p=0.040) than did those women with no effect. Conclusion. Repeated EA treatments induce regular ovulations in more than o ne third of the women with PCOS. The group of women with good effect had a less androgenic hormonal profile before treatment and a less pronounced met abolic disturbance compared with the group with no effect. For this selecte d group EA offers an alternative to pharmacological ovulation induction.