Acupuncture in the treatment of inflammation-related ocular degenerations: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Inflammation-related ocular degenerations include dry eye syndrome, diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, and glaucoma. Until now, there are no efficient protocols for treating inflammation-related ocular degenerations. On the other hand, acupuncture therapy modulates the inflammatory and oxidative stress responses in several inflammatory diseases and has been proposed as an emerging therapy for the potential treatment of ocular pathologies. OBJECTIVE: This work aimed to conduct a comprehensive systematic review to address the efficacy of acupuncture therapy for Inflammation-related ocular degenerations. METHODS: The designs of the included studies were clinical trials and observational studies, whereas case series, in vivo, and in vitro studies were excluded. The search was performed in five databases. Relevant data from all included studies were recorded, the outcomes analyzed were intraocular pressure and visual acuity for glaucoma; score of symptoms, pain, tear-film breakup time, and mm of Schirmer test for dry eye syndrome; visual acuity, retinal structure or disease progression for diabetic retinopathy; and finally visual acuity and scores of symptoms for age-related macular degeneration. Risk of bias (using the RoB 2 tool) and quality (using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation [GRADE] tool) assessments were conducted. RESULTS: The included studies showed heterogeneity, risk of bias, inconsistency, and very low certainty of evidence. CONCLUSION: There is no conclusive evidence to support that acupuncture is an effective therapy in patients with inflammation-related ocular degeneration disease. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42022368882, identifier PROSPERO (CRD42022368882).