Melatonin supplementation and outcomes of assisted reproductive technology: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Abstract
Background: Melatonin (MT) is involved in the regulation of various important biological processes related to reproduction. Many studies have investigated the effects of MT supplementation on outcomes following assisted reproductive technology (ART), yielding conflicting results. The aim of this systematic review was to synthesize evidence from clinical studies regarding the impact of MT on the key outcomes of ART.
Methods: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Google scholar were searched. Clinical trials that studied the effect of MT supplementation on outcomes following ART and published in English from inception to April 2020, were included. One author assessed the risk of bias in the studies using the Cochrane Collaboration checklist. Dichotomous outcomes were analyzed as risk ratios (RR) using the Mantel-Haenszel statistical method and a random/fixed effect model. Continuous outcomes were analyzed as Mean Difference (MD) using the Inverse Variance statistical method. The funnel plot was used to assess the publication bias.
Results: Eleven studies conducted between 2008 and 2019 were included in this meta-analysis. Clinical pregnancy rate (CPR), live birth rate (LBR), Miscarriage rate (MR), fertilization rate (FR), Number of oocytes retrieved, MII oocytes, top-quality embryos was reported in 10, 3, 6, 7, 9, 8, and 6 studies, respectively. MT supplementation significantly increased the CPR (RR, 1.24; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04, 1.47), the number of MII oocytes (MD,…
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Evidence Hub reads this as a meta-analysis, done in people. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid.
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