A Systematic Overview of Reviews on the Efficacy of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Erectile Dysfunction

Background & aim: This systematic overview of reviews on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) was performed to summarize the clinical efficacy of this approach in the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) and assess methodological quality of the included reviews. Methods: A comprehensive search was performed to find the systematic reviews and meta-analyses on CAM interventions (e.g., acupuncture, saffron, yohimbine, and ginseng) for ED treatment, published until October 2017. To this end, we searched the international databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane, as well as Iranian databases, such as SID, IranMedex, and Magiran. The assessment of the methodological quality of the included systematic reviews was accomplished using the AMSTAR scale. Results: The searching process led to the inclusion of five systematic reviews examining CAM therapies, including acupuncture, saffron, Yohimbine, and ginseng. The methodological quality of the retrieved reviews was at a favorable level. Positive results were found for the administration of yohimbine, saffron, and ginseng as treatment agents for ED. However, there was insufficient evidence regarding the effect of acupuncture on this health problem. Major methodological defects included the use of a grey literature search, likelihood of publication bias, and conflicts of interests. Conclusion: As the findings indicated, CAM appeared to be an effective treatment for ED. However, it is essential to conduct further studies on the safety and value of CAM for the management of this condition.