Update on the Clinical Effect of Acupuncture Therapy in Patients with Gouty Arthritis: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Table 1

Characteristics of RCTs identified in the literature search.

Study	Population (E/C)	Age (mean or range)	Diagnostic criteria	Outcome measurements	Adverse events
Baiyin 2014 [20]	43/44	E: 27–56; C: 28–54	ARA 1977	Clinical effect, uric acid	NR
Chenle 2015 [21]	25/25	E: 25–58; C: 23–60	ARA 1977	Clinical effect	NR
Gong and Chen 2014 [22]	60/60	NR	ARA 1977	Clinical effect	NR
Gui and Chen 2014 [23]	32/28	E: 28–65; C: 26–62	SATCM 1994	Clinical effect	Yes
He et al. 2008 [24]	30/30	E: 28–67; C: 30–65	SATCM 1994	Clinical effect	Yes
Hu et al. 2010 [25]	68/60	E: 45.42 ± 11.46; C: 46.74 ± 11.22	ARA 1977	Clinical effect, uric acid, CRP, ESR	Yes
Jin et al. 2012 [26]	30/30	E: 23-67; C: 25–66	ARA 1977	Clinical effect, uric acid	Yes
Li et al. 2013 [27]	31/29	E: 49.67 ± 19.3; C: 46.52 ± 10.29	ARA 1977	Clinical effect, uric acid	Yes
Liu et al. 2008 [28]	56/44	E: 34–70: C: 33–74	SATCM 1994	Clinical effect, uric acid	NR
Liu et al. 2014 [29]	44/41	E: 20–50; C: 18–52	ARA 1977	Clinical effect, uric acid, VAS score	Yes
Liu 2014 [30]	87/87	E: 44.1; C: 43.4	ARA 1977	Clinical effect, uric acid, CRP, ESR	Yes
Ma 2002 [31]	48/30	E: 31–78; C: 29–72	ARA 1977	Clinical effect, uric acid	NR
Ma 2004 [32]	42/30	E: 31–78; C: 29–72	ARA 1977	Clinical effect, uric acid	NR
Wang 2013 [33]	40/20	E: 23–70; C: 23–70	ARA 1977	Clinical effect, ESR, CRP, uric acid	Yes
Wu et al. 2012 [34]	34/32	E: 32–60; C: 33–63	SATCM 1994	Clinical effect, uric acid, CRP, ESR, VAS score	NR
Xi et al. 2006 [35]	66/64	E: 50.1 ± 5.2; C: 45.1 ± 6.1	ARA 1977	Clinical effect, uric acid, VAS score	NR
Xie et al. 2007 [36]	30/30/30	E: 40–70; C1: 42–69; C2: 43–71	ARA 1977	Clinical effect, uric acid	NR
Xie et al. 2009 [37]	30/30	E: 32–65; C: 40–67	SATCM 1994	Clinical effect, uric acid	Yes
Yan 2009 [38]	40/20	E: 35–75; C: 38–76	ARA 1977	Clinical effect, uric acid	Yes
Yin et al. 2005 [39]	40/30/30	E1: 36–72: E2: 31–69: C: 34–76	SATCM 1994	Clinical effect, uric acid	NR
Zhang 2010 [40]	28/29	E: 38–79; C: 29–80	SATCM 1994	Clinical effect	NR
Zhao 2007 [41]	30/30	E: 31–68; C: 30–70	SATCM 1994	Clinical effect, uric acid, VAS score	NR
Zhao et al. 2009 [42]	30/30	E: 33–70; C: 32–71	ARA 1977	Clinical effect, uric acid	NR
Zhou et al. 2012 [43]	80/80	E: 36–65; C: 37–64	SATCM 1994	Clinical effect, uric acid, VAS score, ESR	NR
Zhou 2014 [44]	20/20	E: 18–48; C: 17–50	SATCM 1994	Clinical effect	NR
Zong et al. 2011 [45]	20/20	E: 34–72; C: 30–70	ARA 1977	Clinical effect, uric acid	NR
Zou et al. 2006 [46]	30/30/30	E1: 32–70; E2: 31–72; C: 35–71	SATCM 1994	Clinical effect, uric acid, VAS score	NR
Zou et al. 2007 [47]	30/30	E: 32–70; C: 31–72	SATCM 1994	Clinical effect, uric acid, VAS score	NR

Note. E: experiment; C: control; NR: not reported; CRP: C-reactive protein; ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate; TCM: traditional Chinese medicine; VAS: visual analogue scale; ARA 1977: the American Rheumatism Association preliminary classification criteria for acute gout 1977; SATCM 1994: the Criteria of Diagnosis and Therapeutic Effect of Diseases and Syndromes in Traditional Chinese Medicine issued by the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine.