A systematic review and meta-analysis of 10 randomised trials (353 participants) found that pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy — a non-invasive, home-deployable technology — was associated with an overall cardiometabolic benefit of 0.54 minimal clinically important difference (MCID) units (95% CI 0.08–1.00). The strongest signal emerged in hypertension, where the pooled effect reached 1.24 MCID units (95% CI 0.52–1.96) across two double-blind trials with zero observed heterogeneity (I²=0%). Exploratory meta-regression suggested greater cumulative exposure and lower PEMF frequencies may amplify effects.
This is a preprint posted on medRxiv and has not yet been peer-reviewed, so findings must be treated cautiously. The evidence base is strikingly thin: 353 total participants across 10 studies is far below the threshold needed to confidently guide clinical recommendations. The hypertension subgroup rests on just two trials, and the absence of heterogeneity in so small a sample can reflect underpowering as readily as consistency. PEMF occupies a contested space between legitimate biophysical research and wellness marketing, making independent replication especially important. That said, the MCID-unit framework used here is a methodological strength, enabling cross-outcome comparisons that standard effect sizes obscure. If confirmed in adequately powered RCTs, home-based PEMF could complement lifestyle and pharmacological interventions for blood pressure management — a meaningful prospect given hypertension's enormous disease burden. For now, this analysis is hypothesis-generating rather than practice-changing.