Traditional Chinese medicine and infertility

Conclusions: The growing popularity of traditional Chinese medicine used alone or in combination with Western medicine highlights the need to examine the pros and cons of both Western and traditional Chinese medicine approaches. Integrating the principle and knowledge from well characterized approaches and quality control of both traditional Chinese medicine and Western medical approaches should become a trend in existing clinical practice and serve as a better methodology for treating infertility.

Huang ST, Chen AP. Department
of Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung Medical
Center, Chang Gung Institute of Technology, Taiwan, ROC.
shenteng [at] adm [dot] cgmh [dot] org [dot] tw

PURPOSE OF REVIEW:
The present review gives an overview of the potential use of
traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of infertility, including
an evidence-based evaluation of its efficacy and tolerance. RECENT
FINDINGS: Recent studies demonstrated that traditional Chinese medicine
could regulate the gonadotropin-releasing hormone to induce ovulation
and improve the uterus blood flow and menstrual changes of endometrium.
In addition, it also has impacts on patients with infertility resulting
from polycystic ovarian syndrome, anxiety, stress and immunological
disorders. Although study design with adequate sample size and
appropriate control for the use of traditional Chinese medicine is not
sufficient, the effective studies have already indicated the necessity
to explore the possible mechanisms, that is, effective dose, side
effect and toxicity of traditional Chinese medicine, in the treatment
of infertility by means of prospective randomized control trial.
SUMMARY: The growing popularity of traditional Chinese medicine used
alone or in combination with Western medicine highlights the need to
examine the pros and cons of both Western and traditional Chinese
medicine approaches. Integrating the principle and knowledge from well
characterized approaches and quality control of both traditional
Chinese medicine and Western medical approaches should become a trend
in existing clinical practice and serve as a better methodology for
treating infertility.