The Effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine-Associated Complementary and Alternative Medicine on Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Abstract

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a touchy clinical and public health problem worldwide, which adversely affects women’s health and health-related comorbidities for lifetime, and represents a tremendous burden for both the family of the patient and for society. According to the diagnostic criteria used and the population studied, the prevalence rate of PCOS is between 6% and 21%. However, current conventional modern medicines for PCOS are only moderately effective at controlling the signs and symptoms, while they are not thoroughly able to prevent complications. Therefore, many patients have turned to complementary and alternative medical (CAM) treatments. CAM use is wide spread among patients with PCOS, and more than 70% of patients use CAM at one point during their diseases. The patients’ primary motivations include dissatisfaction with available medications, perceive higher risk of drug side effects and crushing health burden and economic costs, desire for symptom relief, pursuit of shortening the course of disease, and the belief that CAM therapy is in accordance with the patients’ values and beliefs. At present, several CAM methods have been used in women with PCOS, which has achieved obvious effects. However, biologically plausible mechanisms of the action of traditional Chinese medicine- (TCM-) associated CAM for PCOS have not been systematically reviewed. This review briefly summarizes the current progress of the impact of herbal medicine on the outcomes of PCOS and introduces the mechanisms.

Obesity management in polycystic ovary syndrome: disparity in knowledge between obstetrician-gynecologists and reproductive endocrinologists in China

“…More than half of the participants in this survey recommended TCM therapy for weight loss. TCM therapy, as an approach of complementary and alternative medical (CAM) treatment, has been used in women with PCOS to improve ovulatory dysfunction, IR, hyperandrogenism, and hyperlipemia either in combination with modern medicine or alone [ 28 ]. Moreover, the application of acupuncture or electroacupuncture for overweight/obese women with PCOS has been a common practice in Chinese medicine and has proven helpful for patients with weight loss [ 29 ].…”

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Comprehensive Review of Pathogenesis, Management, and Drug Repurposing

“…Recent studies have demonstrated that using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as adjunctive therapy may benefit the management [ 89 ]. Today, CAM is a well-known approach that has been used at least at one point in more than 70% of PCOS patients during their diseases [ 90 ]. Several manners can categorize it; according to the latest edition of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), complementary approaches can be classified by their primary therapeutic input into three classes of nutritional, psychological, physical, or all of them in combination [ 68 ].…”

Cangfudaotan decoction inhibits mitochondria-dependent apoptosis of granulosa cells in rats with polycystic ovarian syndrome

“…However, the regulatory mechanism between mitochondrial abnormalities and PCOS is still unclear. Although there is no known cure for PCOS, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) may offer a specific therapeutic effects for treating PCOS (11).…”

“…The CFDT decoction comprises 16 medicinal herbs, aiming to solve the pathogenesis of phlegm dampness. A clinical study has reported that the CFDT decoction, used alone or in combination with other western medications, can be used in the treatment of women with PCOS (12), however the mechanism of action of this treatment remains unknown (11)(12)(13).…”