Acupuncture for metabolic syndrome: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND:Metabolic syndrome (MS) is showing an epidemic trend worldwide, and its annual incidence is increasing. Conventional treatment options have limitations and it is necessary to develop new management strategies for MS. METHODS:Eligible randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) were screened by searching multiple Chinese and English databases. References to the included literature, gray literature in OpenGrey, and other relevant literature, such as clinical studies registered in ClinicalTrials.gov, were also manually searched. Relevant data were extracted, and meta-analysis was performed using Reviewer Manager 5.4. RESULTS:This study provides a high-quality review of the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of MS, and provides a basis for the clinical application of acupuncture in the treatment of MS. CONCLUSION:This study provides evidence of the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of MS.