Moxibustion for XXXX : a systematic review and meta-analysis.

@entity1 @entity626 @entity627 @entity309 @entity922
Moxibustion, an acupuncture-like intervention, is increasingly used in the management of @entity627 . The aim of this review is to summarize and critically evaluate the trials testing effectiveness of moxibustion for major @entity627 . Fourteen databases were searched from their inception through May 2010, without language restriction. @entity922 ( @entity922 ) were included if moxibustion was used as the sole treatment or as a part of a combination therapy with conventional drugs for @entity627 . Cochrane criteria were used to assess the risk of bias. A total of 14 @entity922 met our inclusion criteria. All were of low methodological quality. The meta-analysis of the eight @entity922 suggested favorable effects of moxibustion on the response rate compared with conventional drug therapy [n   =   631; relative risk (RR), 1.13; 95% confidence intervals (CIs), 1.02 to 1.26; P   =   0.02] with high heterogeneity (I (2)   =   58%). A subgroup analysis showed significant effects of moxibustion on the RR compared with drug therapy in @entity1 with @entity626 , whereas it failed to do so in @entity309 . The results of meta-analysis of the six @entity922 suggested favorable effects of moxibustion plus drug therapy on the response rate compared with conventional drug therapy alone (n   =   433; RR, 1.25; 95% CIs, 1.09 to 1.43; P   =   0.02) with high heterogeneity (I (2)   =   62%). This systematic review fails to provide conclusive evidence for the effectiveness of moxibustion compared with drug therapy in @entity627 . The total number of @entity922 included in this review and their methodological quality were low. These limitations make it difficult to draw firm conclusions.
