Analysis of the efficacy of Yupingfeng powder combined with acupuncture on allergic rhinitis: systematic review and meta analysis

Objective: To systematically evaluate the efficacy of Yupingfeng powder combined with acupuncture and moxibustion on allergic rhinitis (AR) and to provide evidence-based basis for combined treatment of AR patients. Methods: The randomized controlled trials of Yupingfeng powder combined with acupuncture in the treatment of AR were searched in Chinese and English databases (China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, VIP, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane). The search time was from the establishment of the database to May 2025. Stata15.0 software was used to perform a meta-analysis of the included literature that met the requirements. Results: A total of nine studies were included, with a total sample size of 686 cases—350 cases in the control group and 336 cases in the study group. A meta-analysis showed that compared with other treatment methods, Yupingfeng powder combined with acupuncture was more effective in the treatment of AR [RR = 2.52,95% CI (1.80,3.54), P < 0.001]. In addition, the effective rate of follow-up after treatment was higher than that of the control group [RR = 2.03,95% CI (1.32,3.13), P = 0.01], and the recurrence rate of the treatment group was also lower than that of the control group [RR = 0.28,95% CI (0.09,0.87), P = 0.028]; the differences were statistically significant. Conclusion: Yupingfeng powder and acupuncture therapy have certain clinical efficacy and maintenance effects in the treatment of AR. It can be promoted and applied on a larger scale after further clinical practice.