THE INFLUENCE OF ACUPUNCTURE ON REPRODUCTIVE HORMONES AND OVULATION

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Polycystic Ovary Disease (PCOS) is the most common cause of irregular menstrual cycles and anovulatory infertility. Acupuncture may represent an alternative to hormonal treatment for these women, based on three studies with positive findings with fewer than 50 acupuncture subjects and no control group. The proposed research will be a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial to assess if acupuncture restores ovulation (2+ ovulations) and normalizes ovarian hormones (follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone) in women with PCOS. This research will assess within our PCOS population whether acupuncture increases ovulatory frequency, causes the ratio of luteinizing hormone (LH) to follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) to normalize, and causes the average levels of FSH and LH to adjust towards normal levels (increase and decrease, respectively). We will also compare enrollment strategies (radio vs. TV, etc) for population-based recruitment of women into an acupuncture clinical trial. Lastly, we will evaluate participant perception of the true and sham study treatments.