Acupuncture and related therapies for hyperlipidemia: A protocol for systematic review and network meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE: To compare and rank the clinical effects of different acupuncture and acupuncture-related therapies on patients with hyperlipidemia. METHODS: We used Network Meta-Analysis (NMA) to evaluate the direct and indirect evidence from relevant studies. Three English and 4 Chinese databases were searched to collect randomized controlled trials (RCT) of acupuncture and related therapies in the treatment of hyperlipidemia. The data were analyzed using Stata15.0 and WinBUGS1.4.3 software after 2 researchers independently screened the literature, extracted the data, and assessed the risk of bias in the included studies. RESULTS: Based on the current evidence, we comprehensively compare the pros and cons of various acupuncture-related therapies, rank the efficacy of various acupuncture-related therapies compared with statins in the treatment of hyperlipidemia, and summarize the best acupuncture intervention methods or combinations. CONCLUSION: This study will provide new evidence for the safety and effectiveness of acupuncture-related therapies in the treatment of hyperlipidemia, and may be helpful for clinicians, hyperlipidemia patients, and clinical guideline makers to choose the optimal combination of acupuncture for the treatment of hyperlipidemia. REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY2020100100