About
Scope & Aims
Editorial office
Editorial board
Reviewers
Ethical standards and procedures
Abstracting and indexing
Contact
Articles & Issues
Current issue
Articles in press
Archive
For Authors
General rules
Guide for authors
Templates
Publication charge
For Reviewers
Guide for reviewers
Our reviewers
ORIGINAL PAPER
Effect of acupuncture on primary hypothyroidism and irregular menstruation in infertile women: a randomised controlled study
1
National Nutrition Institute, General Organization for Teaching Hospitals and Institutes, Ministry of Health, Giza, Egypt
2
Women’s Health Department, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
3
Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
Submission date: 2023-07-12
Acceptance date: 2023-10-10
Publication date: 2024-12-06
Corresponding author
Eman Sedky Abdullah
National Nutrition Institute, General Organization for Teaching Hospitals and Institutes, Ministry of Health, Giza, Egypt
National Nutrition Institute, General Organization for Teaching Hospitals and Institutes, Ministry of Health, Giza, Egypt
Physiother Quart. 2024;32(4):60-67
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Introduction:
This study aimed to examine the impact of acupuncture and a low-caloric diet on primary hypothyroidism and irregular menstruation in infertile women.
Methods:
Sixty infertile women participated in the trial. All women were diagnosed with hypothyroidism, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), and oligomenorrhea. They were between the ages of 20 and 35, with a BMI between 30 and 34.9 kg/m2. They were divided at random into two equal groups. For four months, a control group was given thyroxine tablets once daily with a low-calorie diet (1200 kcal/day). The study group was given the same treatment and acupuncture sessions, twice a week for four months. BMI, waist, waist-to-stature ratio (WSR), free thyroxine (FT4), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), luteinising hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), LH/FSH ratio, menstrual cycle period, and a health-related quality-of-life questionnaire (PCOSQ) were evaluated for all patients.
Results:
There was a significant reduction in waist circumference, WSR, BMI, LH, LH/FSH ratio, TSH, and menstrual cycle period in both groups (p < 0.05) and a significant increase (p < 0.05) in FT4 and PCOSQ scores. Also, there was a significant increase in FSH in the study group. Compared to the control group, the study group revealed a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in waist circumference, WSR, LH, TSH, LH/FSH ratio, menstrual cycle period, and a significant increase in PCOSQ scores and FSH.
Conclusions:
Adding acupuncture to a low-caloric diet and medical treatment has an effective role in decreasing abdominal adiposity and improving the hormonal profile and menstrual cycle, which in turn improves reproductive health in infertile women with hypothyroidism.
This study aimed to examine the impact of acupuncture and a low-caloric diet on primary hypothyroidism and irregular menstruation in infertile women.
Methods:
Sixty infertile women participated in the trial. All women were diagnosed with hypothyroidism, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), and oligomenorrhea. They were between the ages of 20 and 35, with a BMI between 30 and 34.9 kg/m2. They were divided at random into two equal groups. For four months, a control group was given thyroxine tablets once daily with a low-calorie diet (1200 kcal/day). The study group was given the same treatment and acupuncture sessions, twice a week for four months. BMI, waist, waist-to-stature ratio (WSR), free thyroxine (FT4), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), luteinising hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), LH/FSH ratio, menstrual cycle period, and a health-related quality-of-life questionnaire (PCOSQ) were evaluated for all patients.
Results:
There was a significant reduction in waist circumference, WSR, BMI, LH, LH/FSH ratio, TSH, and menstrual cycle period in both groups (p < 0.05) and a significant increase (p < 0.05) in FT4 and PCOSQ scores. Also, there was a significant increase in FSH in the study group. Compared to the control group, the study group revealed a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in waist circumference, WSR, LH, TSH, LH/FSH ratio, menstrual cycle period, and a significant increase in PCOSQ scores and FSH.
Conclusions:
Adding acupuncture to a low-caloric diet and medical treatment has an effective role in decreasing abdominal adiposity and improving the hormonal profile and menstrual cycle, which in turn improves reproductive health in infertile women with hypothyroidism.
REFERENCES (38)
1.
Patil N, Rehman A, Jialal I. Hypothyroidism. 2022. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023.
2.
Verma I, Sood R, Juneja S, Kaur S. Prevalence of hypothyroidism in infertile women and evaluation of response of treatment for hypothyroidism on infertility. Int J Appl Basic Med Res. 2012;2:17–9; doi: 10.4103/2229-516X.96795.
3.
McAninch EA, Bianco AC. Thyroid hormone signaling in energy homeostasis and energy metabolism. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2014;1311:77–87; doi: 10.1111/nyas.12374.
4.
Teixeira PFDS, Dos Santos PB, Pazos-Moura CC. The role of thyroid hormone in metabolism and metabolic syndrome. Ther Adv Endocrinol Metab. 2020;13:11:2042018820917869; doi: 10.1177/2042018820917869.
5.
Bendarska-Czerwińska A, Zmarzły N, Morawiec E, Panfil A, Bryś K, Czarniecka J, Ostenda A, Dziobek K, Sagan D, Boroń D, Michalski P, Pallazo-Michalska V, Grabarek BO. Endocrine disorders and fertility and pregnancy: an update. Front Endocrinol. 2023;13:970439; doi: 10.3389/fendo.2022.970439.
6.
Peigné M, Dewailly D. Long term complications of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Ann Endocrinol. 2014;75:194–9; doi: 10.1016/j.ando.2014.07.111.
7.
Unuane D, Velkeniers B. Impact of thyroid disease on fertility and assisted conception. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2020;34:101378; doi: 10.1016/j.beem.2020.101378.
8.
Escobar-Morreale HF. Polycystic ovary syndrome: definition, aetiology, diagnosis and treatment. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2018;14:270–84; doi: 10.1038/nrendo.2018.24.
9.
Trakakis E, Pergialiotis V, Hatziagelaki E, Panagopoulos P, Salloum I, Papantoniou N. Subclinical hypothyroidism does not influence the metabolic and hormonal profile of women with PCOS. Horm Mol Biol Clin Investig. 2017;31; doi: 10.1515/hmbci-2016-0058.
10.
Singla R, Gupta Y, Khemani M, Aggarwal S. Thyroid disorders and polycystic ovary syndrome: an emerging relationship. Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2015;19:25–9; doi: 10.4103/2230-8210.146860.
11.
Koyyada A, Orsu P. Role of hypothyroidism and associated pathways in pregnancy and infertility: clinical insights. Tzu Chi Med J. 2020;32(4):312–7; doi: 10.4103/tcmj.tcmj_255_19.
12.
Fontana L, Klein S, Holloszy JO, Premachandra BN. Effect of long-term calorie restriction with adequate protein and micronutrients on thyroid hormones. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006;91:3232–5; doi: 10.1210/jc.2006-0328.
13.
Knudsen N, Laurberg P, Rasmussen LB, Bülow I, Perrild H, Ovesen L, Jørgensen T. Small differences in thyroid function may be important for body mass index and the occurrence of obesity in the population. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2005;90:4019–24; doi: 10.1210/jc.2004-2225.
14.
Lips MA, Pijl H, van Klinken JB, de Groot GH, Janssen IM, Van Ramshorst B, Van Wagensveld BA, Swank DJ, Van Dielen F, Smit JWA. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and calorie restriction induce comparable time-dependent effects on thyroid hormone function tests in obese female subjects. Eur J Endocrinol. 2013;169:339–47; doi: 10.1530/EJE-13-0339.
15.
Neves JS, Oliveira CS, Souteiro P, Pedro J, Magalhães D, Guerreiro V, Bettencourt-Silva R, Costa MM, Santos AC, Queirós J, Varela A, Freitas P, Carvalho D; AMTCO Group. Effect of weight loss after bariatric surgery on thyroid-stimulating hormone levels in patients with morbid obesity and normal thyroid function. Obes Surg. 2018;28:97–103; doi: 10.1007/s11695-017-2792-5.
16.
Yin C, Buchheit TE, Park JJ. Acupuncture for chronic pain: an update and critical overview. Curr Opin Anaesthesiol. 2017;30:583–92; doi: 10.1097/ACO.0000000000000501.
17.
Arsovska B, Zhu J, Kozovska K. Case report: acupuncture treatment for hypothyroidism. Imp J Interdiscip Res. 2016;2:184–7.
18.
Luzina KÉ, Luzina LL, Vasilenko AM. The influence of acupuncture on the quality of life and the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone in patients presenting with subclinical hypothyroidism. Vopr Kurortol Fizioter Lech Fiz Kult. 2011;5:29–33.
19.
Lim CED, Ng RWC, Cheng NCL, Zhang GS, Chen H. Acupuncture for polycystic ovarian syndrome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019;7:CD007689; doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD007689.pub4.
20.
Bachanek M, Abdalla N, Cendrowski K, Sawicki W. Value of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome literature reviewer. J Ultrason. 2015;15:410–22; doi: 10.15557/JoU.2015.0038.
21.
Lee CMY, Huxley RR, Wildman RP, Woodward M. Indices of abdominal obesity are better discriminators of cardiovascular risk factors than BMI: a meta-analysis. J Clin Epidemiol. 2008;61:646–53; doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2007.08.012.
22.
Desoky T, Hassan MH, Fayed HM, Sakhr HM. Biochemical assessments of thyroid profile, serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol and cluster of differentiation 5 expression levels among children with autism. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2017;13:2397–2403; doi: 10.2147/NDT.S146152.
23.
Chun S. Serum luteinising hormone level and luteinising hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone ratio but not serum anti-Müllerian hormone level is related to ovarian volume in Korean women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Clin Exp Reprod Med. 2014;41:86–91; doi: 10.5653/cerm.2014.41.2.86.
24.
Jones GL, Benes K, Clark TL, Denham R, Holder MG, Haynes TJ, Mulgrew NC, Shepherd KE, Wilkinson VH, Singh M, Balen A, Lashen H, Ledger WL, The Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire (PCOSQ): a validation. Hum Reprod. 2004;19:371–7; doi: 10.1093/humrep/deh048.
25.
Cronin L, Guyatt G, Griffith L, Wong E, Azziz R, Futterweit W, Cook D, Dunaif A. Development of a Health-Related Quality-of-Life Questionnaire (PCOSQ) for Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1998;83:1976–87; doi: 10.1210/jcem.83.6.4990.
26.
Ducharme M, Scarsi C, Bettazzi E, Mautone G, Lewis Y, Celi FS. A novel levothyroxine solution results in similar bioavailability whether taken 30 or just 15 minutes before a high-fat high-calorie meal. Thyroid. 2022;32:897–904; doi: 10.1089/thy.2021.0604.
27.
Kouidrat Y, Diouf M, Desailloud R, Louhou R. Effects of a diet plus exercise program on thyroid function in patients with obesity. Metabol Open. 2019;2:100008; doi: 10.1016/j.metop.2019.100008.
28.
Nassar IOM. Effect of 3-month treatment of obesity by low-calorie diet on anthropometric, health, and nutritional status for obese female individuals. Menoufia Med J. 2014;27:115–21; doi: 10.4103/1110-2098.132779.
29.
Marzullo P, Minocci A, Mele C, Fessehatsion R, Tagliaferri M, Pagano L, Scacchi M, Aimaretti G, Sartorio A. The relationship between resting energy expenditure and thyroid hormones in response to short-term weight loss in severe obesity. PLOS ONE. 2018;13:e0205293; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205293.
30.
Cheshmeh S, Ghayyem M, Khamooshi F, Heidarzadeh-Esfahani N, Rahmani N, Hojati N, Mosaieby E, Moradi S, Pasdar Y. Green cardamom plus low-calorie diet can decrease the expression of inflammatory genes among obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a double-blind randomised clinical trial. Eat Weight Disord. 2022;27:821–30; doi: 10.1007/s40519-021-01223-3.
31.
Ornstein RM, Copperman NM, Jacobson MS. Effect of weight loss on menstrual function in adolescents with polycystic ovary syndrome. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol. 2011;24:161–5; doi: 10.1016/j.jpag.2011.01.002.
32.
Chen Y, Fang Y, Yang J, Wang F, Wang Y, Yang L. Effect of acupuncture on premature ovarian failure: a pilot study. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014; 2014: 718675–6; doi: 10.1155/2014/718675.
33.
Nair PMK, Jyothi N. Role of acupuncture and fire cupping in reducing the thyroxine dose and improving the thyroid function in hypothyroidism patients: a case series. J Acupunct Meridian Stud. 2021;14:200–5; doi: 10.51507/j.jams.2021.14.5.200.
34.
Yang H, Xiao Z-Y, Yin Z-H, Yu Z, Liu J-J, Xiao Y-Q, Zhou Y, Li J, Yang J, Liang F-R. Efficacy and safety of acupuncture for polycystic ovary syndrome: an overview of systematic reviews. J Integr Med. 2023;21:136–48; doi: 10.1016/j.joim.2022.12.002.
35.
Lim CED, Luo X, Zhan X, Wong WSF. ACUPCOS: acupuncture and PCOS – a multi-centres randomised controlled trial. Int J Gynecol Obst Res. 2014;2:1–13; doi: 10.14205/2309-4400.2014.02.01.1.
36.
Stener-Victorin E, Holm G, Janson PO, Gustafson D, Waern M. Acupuncture and physical exercise for affective symptoms and health-related quality of life in polycystic ovary syndrome: secondary analysis from a randomised controlled trial. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2013;13:131; doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-13-131.
37.
Ye Y, Zhou C-C, Hu H-Q, Fukuzawa I, Zhang H-L. Underlying mechanisms of acupuncture therapy on polycystic ovary syndrome: evidences from animal and clinical studies. Front Endocrinol. 2022;13:1035929; doi: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1035929.
38.
Cheng F-K. Efficacy of acupuncture on treating obesity and adipose-incurred illnesses. TMR Integr Med. 2018;2:140–67; doi: 10.53388/TMRIM201802031.
| eISSN: | 2544-4395 |
We process personal data collected when visiting the website. The function of obtaining information about users and their behavior is carried out by voluntarily entered information in forms and saving cookies in end devices. Data, including cookies, are used to provide services, improve the user experience and to analyze the traffic in accordance with the Privacy policy. Data are also collected and processed by Google Analytics tool (more).
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
