scholarly journals Systematic Review of Fire Needling or Warm Needling Treatment for Ankle Sprain

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong Je Ko ◽  
Jae Hee Yoo ◽  
Min Wook Kim ◽  
Jeong Cheol Shin
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trials ◽  
Ankle Sprain ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Ankle Sprains ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Warm Needling

The effectiveness of fire needling or warm needling treatment in clinical studies for the treatment of ankle sprains was reviewed using 4 international (PubMed, Cochrane library, EMBASE, CNKI) and 5 Korean databases (NDSL, RISS, KISS, OASIS, KTKP). Randomized controlled trials, that performed fire needling or warm needling treatment for ankle sprains until October, 2018 were retrieved (<i>n</i> = 8). All studies were performed in China, and 7 out of 8 studies were published within the last 5 years. There were 4 studies that used fire needling treatment, 3 studies used warm needling treatment, and 1 study used fire and warm needling treatment. The ashi-points and gallbladder meridian were the most frequently selected acupoint and meridian each. All intervention groups in the 8 studies showed statistically significant beneficial effects compared with control groups. The results of this study could provide preliminary data as the basis for welldesigned randomized controlled trials on fire needling or warm needling treatment for ankle sprains.

The Effect of Probiotics/synbiotics Supplementation on Renal and Liver Biomarkers in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized-Controlled Trials

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-31
Author(s):  
Shima Abdollahi ◽  
Fatemeh Meshkini ◽  
Cain C. T. Clark ◽  
Javad Heshmati ◽  
Sepideh Soltani
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trials ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Random Effect Model ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Randomized Controlled

Abstract Despite the apparent beneficial effects of probiotics/synbiotics on glucose hemostasis, lipid profile, and inflammatory responses, it is not clear whether these beneficial effects also impact renal and hepatic function in diabetes. Therefore, we sought to assess the effect of probiotics/synbiotics supplementation on renal and liver biomarkers in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) using a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were systematically searched, up to February 2021. The pooled weighted mean difference (WMD) was estimated using a random-effect model. The methodological quality of studies, as well as certainty of evidence, was assessed using standard scales. Fifteen related trials were identified. Meta-analysis of six trials, involving 426 participants, indicated that probiotics/synbiotics supplementation reduced serum levels of creatinine (WMD= −0.10 mg/dl, 95% CI: −0.20, −0.00; P= 0.01; I 2 = 87.7%; P-heterogeneity<0.001), without any significant effect on blood urea nitrogen (BUN), glomerular filtration rate, or microalbuminuria. No significant improvement was found on liver biomarkers following probiotics/synbiotics supplementation. The subgroup analysis showed a significant improvement in BUN when follow-up duration lasted for 12 weeks or more (WMD= −1.215 mg/dl, 95% CI: −1.933, −0.496 ; P= 0.001), and in creatinine levels in patients with renal dysfunction (WMD= −0.209 mg/dl, 95% CI: −0.322, −0.096; P<0.001). Our results are insufficient to advocate the use of probiotics/synbiotics for improving renal or liver function in patients with T2DM. Indeed, due to the low certainty of evidence, these findings need to be affirmed in further high-quality RCTs.

scholarly journals β-(1→3,1→6)-D-glucans in disease prevention and health promotion - a systematic review of randomized controlled trials

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (OCE2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marigoula Vlassopoulou ◽  
Adamantini Kyriacou ◽  
Vasiliki Pletsa ◽  
George Zervakis ◽  
Mary Yiannakoulia
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trials ◽  
Abdominal Circumference ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Tract Infections ◽  
The Impact

AbstractIntroductionβ-Glucans comprise a heterogeneous group of polysaccharides exhibiting a wide range of biological properties. They are categorized as dietary fibers due to their ability to reach the large intestine undigested and undergo fermentation by gut microbiota, with potential beneficial effects for the host. Aim of this systematic review is to assess the effects of consumption of β-(1→3,1→6)-D-glucans, naturally found in the cell walls of fungi, on health outcomes.MethodsA comprehensive literature search was performed on PubMed, Cochrane Library and Web of Science in order to retrieve studies that investigated the impact of exclusively oral administration of β-(1→3,1→6)-D-glucans to healthy individuals and/or patients in any form, at any dosage. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were considered.ResultsTwenty-five RCTs, of the 48 clinical studies retrieved in total, met the eligibility criteria and are included in the present review. The sources of β-(1→3,1→6)-D-glucans were Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Aureobasidium pullulans, Pleurotus ostreatus and Lentinula edodes and the dosage of supplementation ranged from 2.5 to 3000 mg daily for up to 6 months. The main physiological outcome for the majority of the interventions was immunomodulation, which resulted in a) strengthened immune defence that reduces the incidence and symptoms of cold, flu and upper respiratory tract infections in general and b) alleviation of allergic symptoms. However, findings on the induction of immune response alterations were inconsistent at a cellular and molecular level. Another aspect is psychological wellbeing, as the cohorts that received the polysaccharides of interest reported improvement of mood state as well as amelioration of the wellbeing overall, while co-administration with chemotherapeutic drugs enhanced cancer patients’ quality of life and prolonged their survival. Furthermore, supplements containing β-(1→3,1→6)-D-glucan induced beneficial changes in body fat mass and abdominal circumference in overweight adults. Notably, no adverse event causally related to the glucans was recorded in any of the trials.ConclusionsSupplementation with β-(1→3,1→6)-D-glucans is well-tolerated and health-promoting properties are manifested primarily through the potentiation of the immune system. More studies are required in order to confirm additional beneficial effects, establish the optimal dose and reveal the underlying molecular mechanisms.

scholarly journals Adjuvant Transarterial Chemoembolization Following Curative-Intent Hepatectomy Versus Hepatectomy Alone for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 2984
Author(s):  
Stepan M. Esagian ◽  
Christos D. Kakos ◽  
Emmanouil Giorgakis ◽  
Lyle Burdine ◽  
J. Camilo Barreto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trials ◽  
Transarterial Chemoembolization ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Risk Of Bias ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Curative Intent ◽  
Randomized Controlled

The role of adjuvant transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for patients with resectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing hepatectomy is currently unclear. We performed a systematic review of the literature using the MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases. Random-effects meta-analysis was carried out to compare the overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) of patients with resectable HCC undergoing hepatectomy followed by adjuvant TACE vs. hepatectomy alone in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The risk of bias was assessed using the Risk of Bias 2.0 tool. Meta-regression analyses were performed to explore the effect of hepatitis B viral status, microvascular invasion, type of resection (anatomic vs. parenchymal-sparing), and tumor size on the outcomes. Ten eligible RCTs, reporting on 1216 patients in total, were identified. The combination of hepatectomy and adjuvant TACE was associated with superior OS (hazard ratio (HR): 0.66, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.52 to 0.85; p < 0.001) and RFS (HR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.56 to 0.88; p < 0.001) compared to hepatectomy alone. There were significant concerns regarding the risk of bias in most of the included studies. Overall, adjuvant TACE may be associated with an oncologic benefit in select HCC patients. However, the applicability of these findings may be limited to Eastern Asian populations, due to the geographically restricted sample. High-quality multinational RCTs, as well as predictive tools to optimize patient selection, are necessary before adjuvant TACE can be routinely implemented into standard practice. PROSPERO Registration ID: CRD42021245758.

scholarly journals Zinc Supplementation and Body Weight: A Systematic Review and Dose–Response Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shima Abdollahi ◽  
Omid Toupchian ◽  
Ahmad Jayedi ◽  
David Meyre ◽  
Vivian Tam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Body Weight ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trials ◽  
Dose Response ◽  
Zinc Supplementation ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Anthropometric Measures ◽  
Randomized Controlled

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to determine the effect of zinc supplementation on anthropometric measures. In this systematic review and dose–response meta-analysis, we searched PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library from database inception to August 2018 for relevant randomized controlled trials. Mean differences and SDs for each outcome were pooled using a random-effects model. Furthermore, a dose–response analysis for zinc dosage was performed using a fractional polynomial model. Quality of evidence was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology. Twenty-seven trials (n = 1438 participants) were included in the meta-analysis. There were no significant changes in anthropometric measures after zinc supplementation in the overall analysis. However, subgroup analyses revealed that zinc supplementation increased body weight in individuals undergoing hemodialysis (HD) [3 trials, n = 154 participants; weighted mean difference (WMD) = 1.02 kg; 95% CI: 0.38, 1.65 kg; P = 0.002; I2 = 11.4%] and decreased body weight in subjects who are overweight/obese but otherwise healthy (5 trials, n = 245 participants; WMD = −0.55 kg; 95% CI: −1.06, −0.04 kg; P = 0.03; I2 = 31.5%). Dose–response analyses revealed a significant nonlinear effect of supplementation dosage on BMI (P = 0.001). Our data suggest that zinc supplementation increases body weight in patients undergoing HD and decreases body weight in individuals who are overweight/obese but otherwise healthy, although after normalization for study duration, the association observed in subjects who are overweight/obese disappeared. Although more high-quality studies are needed to reach a definitive conclusion, our study supports the view that zinc may be associated with body weight.

Bendamustine Is Not Associated With An Increase In Infections – Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Of Randomized Controlled Trials

Blood ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 122 (21) ◽  
pp. 5125-5125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anat Gafter-Gvili ◽  
Ronit Gurion ◽  
Pia Raanani ◽  
Ofer Shpilberg ◽  
Liat Vidal
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trials ◽  
Alkylating Agent ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Alkylating Agents ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Solid Malignancies ◽  
Grade 3

Abstract Background Bendamustine is a chemotherapeutic drug with structural similarities to both alkylating agents (nitrogen mustard derivative) and purine analogues (benzimidazole ring). Theoretically, due to its nucleoside-like properties it might be associated with more infections. Data in the literature is lacking regarding the infection-related adverse events of bendamustine-containing regimens. Thus, we aimed to assess this risk. Methods Systematic review and meta-analysis of all randomized controlled trials comparing bendamustine containing regimens (alone or combined with other chemotherapeutic agents and/or rituximab) to any other regimens. Trials evaluating bendamustine for any indication (hematological as well as solid malignancies) were included.  A comprehensive search of The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, conference proceedings and references was conducted until July 2013. Two reviewers appraised the quality of trials and extracted data. Outcomes assessed were: any infections, grade 3-4 infections, fatal infections, grade 3-4 neutropenia and grade 3-4 lymphopenia. For dichotomous data, relative risks (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated and pooled. We used fixed effect model to pool data, unless there was significant heterogeneity, in which case we used the random effects model. Results Ten trials conducted between the years 1998 and 2013 and randomizing 2360 patients were included. We included 4 trials of patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (Rummel 2013, Rummel 2010, Herold 2006 and the Bright study 2013), 3 trials of CLL (Knauf 2009, Niederle 2013, LeBlond 2013), 1 trial of patients with multiple myeloma (Ponish 2006) and 2 trials of breast carcinoma patients. The bendamustine arm included: bendamustine alone (2 trials), bendamustine-rituximab (BR) (4 trials), bendamustine, vincristine, prednisone (BOP) (1 trial), bendamustine, MTX. 5FU (BMF) (2 trials) and bendamustine, prednisone (BP) (1 trial). The comparator arms in 8 of the trials included other alkylating agents: chlorambucil, R -CHOP,  cyclophosphamide, MTX, 5-FU (CMF) and melphalan-prednisone (MP) – each regimen used in 2 trials and COP used in 1 trial.  In 2 trials the comparator arm included fludarabine based regimens (alone or with rituximab). There was no statistically significant effect for bendamustine on the rate of any type of infection (RR 1.06 [95% CI 0.83, 1.34], 6 trials, figure). This analysis included only trials of hematological malignancies. There was no increase in the rate of grade 3-4 infections (RR 1.45 [95% CI 0.86, 2.45], 7 trials) or fatal infection (RR 0.69 [95% CI 0.30, 1.58], 3 trials). Data were too scarce to analyze by specific types of infections separately. There was no increase in the rate of grade 3-4 neutropenia in the bendamustine arm (RR 0.9 [95% CI 0.58, 1.42], 6 trials). This was true both when the comparator was alkylating agent containing regimens (RR 0.87 [95% CI 0.52, 1.48], 4 trials) or fludarabine containing regimens (RR 1.02 [95% CI 0.54, 1.91], 2 trials). There was a significant increase in grade 3-4 lymphopenia in the bendamustine arm compared to alkylating agent containing regimens (RR 1.95[95% CI 1.54, 2.47). Conclusions Our systematic review demonstrates no effect of bendamustine on the rate of infections when compared to either alkylating agents or fludarabine,  in hematological as well as in solid malignancies, despite an increase in lymphopenia. Thus, bendamustine remains a safe therapeutic option. The main drawback of this meta-analysis is the heterogeneity between malignancies and treatments. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

scholarly journals Systematic Review and Pooled Analyses of Recent Neurointerventional Randomized Controlled Trials: Setting a New Standard of Care for Acute Ischemic Stroke Treatment after 20 Years

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 39-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Hussain ◽  
Mohammad Moussavi ◽  
Daniel Korya ◽  
Siddhart Mehta ◽  
Jaskiran Brar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trials ◽  
Endovascular Therapy ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
And Control ◽  
Iv Tpa

Background: Recent advances in the treatment of ischemic stroke have focused on revascularization and led to better clinical and functional outcomes. A systematic review and pooled analyses of 6 recent multicentered prospective randomized controlled trials (MPRCT) were performed to compare intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV tPA) and endovascular therapy (intervention) with IV tPA alone (control) for anterior circulation ischemic stroke (AIS) secondary to large vessel occlusion (LVO). Objectives: Six MPRCTs (MR CLEAN, ESCAPE, EXTEND IA, SWIFT PRIME, REVASCAT and THERAPY) incorporating image-based LVO AIS were selected for assessing the following: (1) prespecified primary clinical outcomes of AIS patients in intervention and control arms: good outcomes were defined by a modified Rankin Scale score of 0-2 at 90 days; (2) secondary clinical outcomes were: (a) revascularization rates [favorable outcomes defined as modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction scale (mTICI) score of 2b/3]; (b) symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) rates and mortality; (c) derivation of number needed to harm (NNH), number needed to treat (NNT), and relative percent difference (RPD) between intervention and control groups, and (d) random effects model to determine overall significance (forest and funnel plots). Results: A total of 1,386 patients were included. Good outcomes at 90 days were seen in 46% of patients in the intervention (p < 0.00001) and in 27% of patients in the control groups (p < 0.00002). An mTICI score of 2b/3 was achieved in 70.2% of patients in the intervention arm. The sICH and mortality in the intervention arm compared with the control arm were 4.7 and 14.3% versus 7.9 and 17.8%, respectively. The NNT and NNH in the intervention and control groups were 5.3 and 9.1, respectively. Patients in the intervention arm had a 50.1% (RPD) better chance of achieving a good 90-day outcome as compared to controls. Conclusions: Endovascular therapy combined with IV tPA (in appropriately selected patients) for LVO-related AIS is superior to IV tPA alone. These results support establishing an endovascular therapy in addition to IV tPA as the standard of care for AIS secondary to LVO.

scholarly journals A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Estimating the Expected Dropout Rates in Randomized Controlled Trials on Yoga Interventions

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holger Cramer ◽  
Heidemarie Haller ◽  
Gustav Dobos ◽  
Romy Lauche
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trials ◽  
Psychological Control ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Dropout Rate ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
Dropout Rates ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Randomized Controlled

A reasonable estimation of expected dropout rates is vital for adequate sample size calculations in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Underestimating expected dropouts rates increases the risk of false negative results while overestimating rates results in overly large sample sizes, raising both ethical and economic issues. To estimate expected dropout rates in RCTs on yoga interventions, MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, IndMED, and the Cochrane Library were searched through February 2014; a total of 168 RCTs were meta-analyzed. Overall dropout rate was 11.42% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 10.11%, 12.73%) in the yoga groups; rates were comparable in usual care and psychological control groups and were slightly higher in exercise control groups (rate = 14.53%; 95% CI = 11.56%, 17.50%; odds ratio = 0.82; 95% CI = 0.68, 0.98;p=0.03). For RCTs with durations above 12 weeks, dropout rates in yoga groups increased to 15.23% (95% CI = 11.79%, 18.68%). The upper border of 95% CIs for dropout rates commonly was below 20% regardless of study origin, health condition, gender, age groups, and intervention characteristics; however, it exceeded 40% for studies on HIV patients or heterogeneous age groups. In conclusion, dropout rates can be expected to be less than 15 to 20% for most RCTs on yoga interventions. Yet dropout rates beyond 40% are possible depending on the participants’ sociodemographic and health condition.

scholarly journals Can musical intervention improve memory in Alzheimer’s patients? Evidence from a systematic review

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shirlene Vianna Moreira ◽  
Francis Ricardo dos Reis Justi ◽  
Marcos Moreira
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trials ◽  
Randomized Trials ◽  
Positive Outcome ◽  
Memory Deficit ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Exclusion Criteria ◽  
Randomized Controlled

ABSTRACT Treatment with music has shown effectiveness in the treatment of general behavioural and cognitive symptoms of patients with various types of dementia. Objective: To assess the effectiveness of treatment with music on the memory of patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Methods: A systematic search was performed on PubMed (Medline), Cochrane Library, PsycINFO and Lilacs databases up to June 2017 and included all randomized controlled trials that assessed memory using musical interventions in patients with AD. Results: Forty-two studies were identified, and 24 studies were selected. After applying the exclusion criteria, four studies involving 179 patients were included. These studies showed the benefits of using music to treat memory deficit in patients with AD. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first systematic review focusing on randomized trials found in the literature that analysed the role of musical interventions specifically in the memory of patients with AD. Despite the positive outcome of this review, the available evidence remains inconsistent due to the small number of randomized controlled trials.

scholarly journals Peri-abortion contraceptive counseling: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. e0260794
Author(s):  
Patricia Gonzales-Huaman ◽  
Jose Ernesto Fernandez-Chinguel ◽  
Alvaro Taype-Rondan
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trials ◽  
Contraceptive Use ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Contraceptive Counseling ◽  
Counseling Interventions ◽  
Effective Contraceptive ◽  
Event Occurrence

Objective To assess the effects of peri-abortion contraceptive counseling interventions. Methods We performed a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the effect of different types of peri-abortion contraceptive counseling interventions and were published as original papers in scientific journals. The literature search was performed in June 2021 in PubMed, Central Cochrane Library (CENTRAL), Scopus, and Google Scholar; without restrictions in language or publication date. Two independent authors identified studies that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria and extracted the data. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane tool, and evidence certainty was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology. Whenever possible, meta-analyses were performed. The protocol was registered at PROSPERO (CRD42020187354). Results Eleven RCTs were eligible for inclusion (published from 2004 to 2017), from which nine compared enhanced versus standard counseling. Pooled estimates showed that, compared to standard counseling, enhanced counseling was associated with a higher incidence of effective contraceptive use (>3 months) (relative risk [RR], 1.12; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09–1.16), although no significant difference was found in the incidence of long-acting reversible contraceptive use (RR, 1.25; 95% CI, 0.68–2.29), contraceptive uptake (RR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.98–1.15), and obstetric event occurrence (RR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.57–1.47). Certainty of evidence was very low for all outcomes. In addition, two studies compared contraceptive counseling provided by physicians versus that provided by non-physicians, which did not show significant differences. Conclusions Enhanced contraceptive counseling may favor effective contraceptive use but may not affect the rate of obstetric event occurrence. Also, the studies did not find a difference in the effects of counseling interventions given by different providers. Since evidence certainty was very low, future well-designed RCTs are needed to make informed decisions. Registration The study protocol was registered at PROSPERO (CRD42020187354).

scholarly journals Ear Acupressure for Allergic Rhinitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Juan Zhong ◽  
Shuqin Liu ◽  
Dan Lai ◽  
Tao Lu ◽  
Yifeng Shen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Allergic Rhinitis ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trials ◽  
Symptom Score ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Cochrane Central Register ◽  
Randomized Controlled

Background. The treatment effects and safety of ear acupressure (EAP) for patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) have yet to be clarified. Objective. To evaluate the effects and safety of EAP in AR patients. Design. Systematic review of published studies. Methods. A total of 24 English and Chinese databases (PubMed, EMBASE (Excerpta Medical Database), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL, Informit, ScienceDirect, LILACS (Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences), ProQuest, AMED, Blackwell Synergy, PsycINFO, Panteleimon, AcuBriefs, KoreaMed, IndMed, Ingenta, mRCT, ISI Web of Knowledge, ERIC, VIP Information (http://www.cqvip.com), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (http://www.cnki.net), Cochrane Library, Chinese Cochrane Centre Controlled Trials Register Platform, and Wanfang Chinese Digital Periodical and Conference Database) were searched from their respective inceptions to August 2020 to collect randomized controlled trials of ear acupressure for allergic rhinitis. We performed literature inclusion, data extraction, and trial quality evaluations. Methodological quality was assessed according to the Cochrane Handbook. Revman5.3 was used for all analyses. Results. A total of 203 trials were identified and eleven studies involved 1094 participants aged 3–70 years. EAP was better than control group interventions in terms of effectiveness (risk ratio (RR): 0.51; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.36–0.70; P < 0.0001 ). EAP was superior to sham EAP in terms of improvement of the total nasal symptom score (RR: −0.50; 95% CI: −0.96–0.05; P = 0.03), sneezing score (RR: −0.36; 95% CI: −0.59–0.12; P = 0.003), global QoL score (RR: 0.42; 95% CI: 0.04–0.08; P = 0.03), and eye symptom score (RR: −0.36; 95% CI: −0.67–0.05; P = 0.02). Conclusions. Despite the positive results, it is premature to confirm the efficacy of EAP for treating AR. More high-quality studies are needed to confirm safety and efficacy.

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