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A general description for Chinese medicine in treating premature ovarian failure

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Abstract

Premature ovarian failure (POF) is a kind of gynecological disease that causes amenorrhea, infertility, menopause and urogenital symptoms. Currently hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the most popular choice for women with POF to get rid of menopausal syndrome. However, as the popularization of Chinese herbs made Chinese medicine (CM) shine new lights, physicians are able to treat POF with both meno-herbs and integrated therapy. HRT has its own indications and contraindications. For example, unexplained vaginal bleeding, acute liver damage, liver dysfunction, vascular embolization, and breast cancer are all contraindications of HRT, and CM is taken by more physicians as an adjuvant therapy. This review, including a range of common Chinese herbs and formulations according to the existing literature, provides a general description of CM treating POF from the aspects of mechanisms and clinical application. It also highlights acupuncture as a unique physiotherapy for POF. Although the validity of CM has been supported by the evidence of many preclinical trials, clinical trials and meta-analysis, the adverse events with CM therapy still exist and no guarantee has been made for its safety. This review concludes the updated information for CM treating POF contributing to further studies.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology, Hospital and Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences (IBS), Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, 200032, China

    Jing Lin, Xue-lian Li, Hui Song, Qian Li, Ming-yan Wang, Xue-min Qiu, Da-jin Li & Ling Wang

  2. Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Shanghai, 200011, China

    Xue-lian Li, Hui Song, Xue-min Qiu, Da-jin Li & Ling Wang

  3. The Academy of Integrative Medicine of Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China

    Xue-min Qiu, Da-jin Li & Ling Wang

Authors
  1. Jing Lin
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  2. Xue-lian Li
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  3. Hui Song
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  4. Qian Li
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  5. Ming-yan Wang
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  6. Xue-min Qiu
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  7. Da-jin Li
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  8. Ling Wang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ling Wang.

Additional information

Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31571196, No. 30801502, No. 81401171), the Municipal Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai, China (Medical Guidance Technology Project, No. 15401932200), a FY2008 JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship for Foreign Researchers (No. P08471), the Shanghai Pujiang Program (No. 11PJ1401900), the Development Project of Shanghai Peak Disciplines-Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine (No. 20150407)

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Lin, J., Li, Xl., Song, H. et al. A general description for Chinese medicine in treating premature ovarian failure. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 23, 91–97 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-016-2642-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-016-2642-7

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