Effects of acupuncture on obstructive sleep apnea–hypopnea syndrome: A meta‐analysis

Abstract Our study aimed to systematically evaluate the effect of acupuncture in patients with obstructive sleep apnea–hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS). Literature search of four Chinese databases and six English databases for studies published from the inception of each database to March 1, 2022 and identify relevant studies published in Chinese or English. Related randomized controlled trials of acupuncture for the treatment of OSAHS were included to analyze the efficacy of acupuncture. Two researchers independently reviewed all of the retrieved studies to screen for eligible studies and extract the required relevant data. Included studies were subjected to a methodological quality assessment using the Cochrane Manual 5.1.0, and to a meta‐analysis using Cochrane Review Manager version 5.4. A total of 19 studies with 1365 participants were examined. Compared with the control group, the apnea–hypopnea index, lowest oxygen saturation, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, interleukin‐6, tumor necrosis factor α, and nuclear factor κ‐B indicators all exhibited statistically significant changes. Thus, acupuncture was effective in alleviating the state of hypoxia and sleepiness and reduced the inflammatory response and disease severity among reported patients with OSAHS. Therefore, acupuncture could be widely used in the clinical treatment of OSAHS patients as a complementary strategy and warrants further study.