title: Chinese herbal medicine for female infertility: an updated meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effect of Traditional Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) in the management of female infertility and on pregnancy rates compared with Western medical (WM) treatment and update previous meta-analyses.
  
  
  METHODS
  We searched the Medline and Cochrane databases until December 2013 for randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses investigating Chinese herbal medicine therapy for female infertility and compared clinical pregnancy rates achieved with CHM versus WM drug treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty RCTs involving 4247 women with infertility were included in our systematic review. Meta-analysis suggested a 1.74 higher probability of achieving a pregnancy with CHM therapy than with WM therapy alone (risk ratio 1.74, 95%CI: 1.56-1.94; p<0.0001; odds ratio 3.14; 95%CI: 2.72-3.62; p<0.0001) in women with infertility. Trials included women with PCOS, endometriosis, anovulation, fallopian tube blockage, or unexplained infertility. Mean pregnancy rates in the CHM group were 60% compared with 33% in the WM group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our review suggests that management of female infertility with Chinese herbal medicine can improve pregnancy rates 2-fold within a 3-6 month period compared with Western medical fertility drug therapy. In addition, fertility indicators such as ovulation rates, cervical mucus score, biphasic basal body temperature, and appropriate thickness of the endometrial lining were positively influenced by CHM therapy, indicating an ameliorating physiological effect conducive for a viable pregnancy.
authors: National Institute of Integrative Medicine, Hawthorn, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Electronic address: karinried@niim.com.au.
authors: Karin
authors: K
authors: Ried
mesh_terms: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional / Q000379:methods; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal
keywords: Infertility; Meta-analysis; Pregnancy rate; Traditional Chinese herbal medicine