New research: acupuncture and frozen embryo transfers
I just got back from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine 2022 Scientific Meeting. It was a whirlwind of information, networking, and socializing. Let me tell you about an abstract I was honored to have contributed.
In an abstract presented by my dear colleague Kate Phillippi in a very early Poster Session on Tuesday morning, we looked back at 2,330 of patients who completed a Frozen Embryo Transfer cycle in Chicago. Personalized acupuncture (not a simple protocol that was applied universally to everyone) was used as an additional therapy in 579 patients on their transfer day. We compared these patients with 1,751 patients who did not add Acupuncture on the day of embryo transfer.
The two groups were different in many ways. Specifically, the folks who chose to add acupuncture were a bit older and more of them were diagnosed with Diminished ovarian reserve, ovulatory related infertility, and were undergoing their first ET compared with the FET group.
We found a strong association of benefit when personalized acupuncture was added to FET compared with no acupuncture. Acupuncture was associated with a 55% increase in the odds of live birth (OR=1.55, 95% CI 1.29-1.88; p<0.00001), and 42% decrease in the risk of biochemical pregnancy (OR=0.58 95% CI 0.41-0.83), p=0.002. Rates of miscarriage and ectopic were similar between groups.
Limitations to this study are these are associations of benefit, not causal relationships. Data on the number of genetically screened embryos and embryo quality were not available. And, two sessions of acupuncture on the day of embryo transfer is typically a limited dose. It is possible some of these patients had acupuncture elsewhere during the run up to their transfer day.
Why is this retrospective cohort study important?
Most IVF and acupuncture studies to date have looked at a standardized Acupuncture protocol added to the day of embryo transfer. This is great for research but not representative of how acupuncture is practiced in th real world. This study applied acupuncture taking into consideration the individual patient presentation. It was a patient-centered acupuncture treatment.
Studies haven’t kept up with IVF practice in the US. Most of the acupuncture and IVF studies were with fresh embryos, not frozen. This study suggests Acupuncture may provide real benefit to patients undergoing FETs in the US.
Have questions? Email me.
Citation: Phillippi K. Kamel L, Hullender Rubin LE, Jeelani R, Soy T. DOES INDIVIDUALIZED PRE- AND POST-EMBRYO TRANSFER ACUPUNCTURE AFFECT LIVE BIRTH RATES? Fert Steril 2022; 118(4)Supp: E269-270. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2022.08.755