Does acupuncture treatment have satisfactory clinical efficacy for late-life depression? A systematic review and meta-analysis

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the clinical efficacy of acupuncture in late-life depression (LLD). A comprehensive search of seven electronic databases was conducted from inception to November 2022, including the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, CNKI, VIP, CBM and the Wan Fang database. All data analysis were conducted by Revman 5.3. A total of nine RCTs involving 603 participants were included. The meta-analysis results showed that acupuncture combined with antidepressants significantly reduced HAMD scores (MD, −3.69 [95% CI, −5.11 to −2.27], I2 =74%) and a significantly higher cure rate (RR, 1.11 [95% CI, 1.01 to 1.22], I2 = 0%) compared with antidepressants alone. However, no significant difference was found between acupuncture and antidepressants in reducing HAMD scores and improving clinical outcomes. Acupuncture combined or not combined with antidepressants is an effective and safe treatment for LLD.