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Effect of Alternative and Complementary Medicine on Male Infertility: An Umbrella Review Publisher



Fasanghari M1 ; Keramat A2 ; Tansaz M3 ; Moini A4, 5, 6 ; Chaman R7
Authors
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Authors Affiliations
  1. 1. Student Research Committee, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran
  2. 2. Center for Health Related Social and Behavioral Sciences Research, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran
  3. 3. Department of Traditional Medicine, School of Traditional Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  4. 4. Department of Gynecology & Obstetrics, Arash Women's Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Teran, Iran
  5. 5. Breast Disease Research Center (BDRC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Teran, Iran
  6. 6. Department of Endocrinology & Female Infertility at Reproduction, Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproduction ACER, Tehran, Iran
  7. 7. Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran

Source: Health Science Reports Published:2024


Abstract

Background and Aims: There is increasing interest worldwide in using alternative and complementary approaches for treating male infertility. This interest has spawned a multitude of published systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The aim of this Umbrella review was to consolidate the available evidence regarding the effect of complementary and alternative medicine on male infertility to inform clinical decision-making processes. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted to identify systematic reviews and meta-analyses pertaining to the effects of complementary and alternative medicine on male infertility. This search encompassed various databases including MEDLINE, CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus, Proquest, Google Scholar, SID, EMBASE, Magiran, Cochrane Library, Iranmedex, ScienceDirect, SAGE. Subsequently, two researchers independently extracted the data from the selected meta-analyses and systematic reviews, and evaluated their methodological quality using the assessment of multiple systematic reviews 2 (AMSTAR2). Results: This analysis encompassed 11 studies, with four originating from Iran, two from Korea and five from China. The results regarding the effectiveness of complementary and alternative medicine are controversial, indicating a need for further research. The methodological quality of the systematic reviews and meta-analyses appraised by AMSTAR 2 was rated as low or critically low. This assessment is attributed to inadequate examination of publication biases in the reviews and a lack of discussion regarding the effect of risk of bias. Conclusion: The existing evidence regarding the effectiveness of alternative and complementary medicine in addressing male infertility is limited. Furthermore, the overall methodological quality of the published systematic reviews and meta-analyses may have been underestimated as the use of AMSTAR2 appears to be a more precise appraisal instrument compared to its predecessor. © 2024 The Authors. Health Science Reports published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
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