Misleading acupuncture / IVF headlines

The BBC today reports that Acupuncture 'boosts IVF chances'.

Other news sources modify the headline to say that it may boost chances, or it may slightly boost chances.

However, reading the story itself, and a difference picture emerges.

Basically, many studies have been done over the years which explore the effect of acupuncture on fertility. Some of these showed increased fertility rates, some diminished fertility rates, and others no effect whatsoever.

What is being reported here is not a new study. It is a meta-analysis. Meta-analyses are where a number of previous studies are lumped together and their results analysed as one study. Obviously, the results of the meta-analysis are only as good as the studies it is comprised of.

In this case, just seven trials were selected out of dozens available. These seven did not have the same methodology. Ultimately then, it has not told us anything new about the information available.

We also have to be aware of a research bias. Many of these trials are performed in Chinese hospitals where acupuncture is much more accepted. Is it so hard to believe that trials which show zero or negative effect from acupuncture in China might end up being filed rather than reported (or even tampered with at a later stage) - China has especially low standards of professional conduct in academic research.

This is particularly interesting because it was the Chinese studies which showed such a remarkable increased effect from acupuncture, and the European studies which showed statistically insignificant effects. Something is going on, and I doubt it is due to racial differences between Chinese and Caucasian responses to acupuncture.

I haven't yet been able to read the original British Medical Journal article, but my hunch is that there may be controversy over the form of sham acupuncture used in the trials. Why is this important? - Well, because there is very good evidence that acupuncture (a system based on energy points in the body) does not perform any better than just randomly sticking pins into somebody's body.

British acupuncturists are already claiming this as validation of their techniques, clearly ignoring the evidence below the headlines that there is no evidence of it working in the Western trials.

The BBC should get a scientifically literate headline writer so that it does not mislead the public.