scholarly journals Chinese Herbal Medicine for Acute Mountain Sickness: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Wang ◽  
Xingjiang Xiong ◽  
Yanwei Xing ◽  
Zhen Liu ◽  
Wenrui Jiang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Herbal Medicine ◽  
Beneficial Effect ◽  
Chinese Herbal Medicine ◽  
Randomized Clinical Trials ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Acute Mountain Sickness ◽  
Level Of Evidence ◽  
Routine Treatment ◽  
Chinese Herbal

Objectives. We aimed to assess the current clinical evidence of Chinese herbal medicine for AMS.Methods. Seven electronic databases were searched until January 2013. We included randomized clinical trials testing Chinese herbal medicine against placebo, no drugs, Western drugs, or a combination of routine treatment drugs against routine treatment drugs. Study selection, data extraction, quality assessment, and data analyses were conducted according to Cochrane standards.Results. Nine randomized trials were included. The methodological quality of the included trials was evaluated as low. Two trials compared prescriptions of Chinese formula used alone with Western drugs. A meta-analysis showed a beneficial effect in decreasing the score of AMS (MD: −2.23 [−3.98, −0.49],P=0.01). Only one trial compared prescriptions of Chinese formula used alone with no drugs. A meta-analysis showed a significant beneficial effect in decreasing the score of AMS (MD: −6.00 [−6.45, −5.55],P<0.00001). Four trials compared Chinese formula used alone with placebo. A meta-analysis also showed a significant beneficial effect in decreasing the score of AMS (MD: −1.10 [−1.64, −0.55],P<0.0001). Two trials compared the combination of Chinese formula plus routine treatment drugs with routine treatment drugs. A meta-analysis showed a beneficial effect in decreasing the score of AMS (MD: −5.99 [−11.11, −0.86],P=0.02).Conclusions. No firm conclusion on the effectiveness and safety of Chinese herbal medicine for AMS can be made. More rigorous high-quality trials are required to generate a high level of evidence and to confirm the results.

scholarly journals Chinese herbal medicine for functional dyspepsia: a network meta-analysis of prokinetic-controlled randomised trials

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonard Ho ◽  
Claire C. W. Zhong ◽  
Charlene H. L. Wong ◽  
Justin C. Y. Wu ◽  
Karina K. H. Chan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Herbal Medicine ◽  
Adverse Events ◽  
Beneficial Effect ◽  
Chinese Herbal Medicine ◽  
Comparative Effectiveness ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Random Effect ◽  
Chinese Herbal ◽  
Meta Analyses

Abstract Background Prokinetic is the first-line conventional treatment for functional dyspepsia (FD) in Asia despite potential adverse events. Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) may be an effective and safe substitution. This network meta-analysis (NMA) aimed to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of different CHM formulae for FD against prokinetics. Methods Seven international and Chinese databases were searched from their inception to July 2020 for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) on CHM versus prokinetics. Data from each RCT were first pooled using random-effect pairwise meta-analyses and illustrated as risk difference (RD) or standardised mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Random-effect NMAs were then performed to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of CHM formulae and displayed as RD with 95% CI or SMD with 95% credible interval (CrI). The GRADE partially contextualised framework was applied for NMA result interpretation. Results Twenty-six unique CHM formulae were identified from twenty-eight RCTs of mediocre quality. Pairwise meta-analyses indicated that CHM was superior to prokinetics in alleviating global symptoms at 4-week follow-up (pooled RD: 0.14; 95% CI: 0.10–0.19), even after trim and fill adjustment for publication bias. NMAs demonstrated that Modified Zhi Zhu Decoction may have a moderate beneficial effect on alleviating global symptoms at 4-week follow-up (RD: 0.28; 95% CI: − 0.03 to 0.75). Xiao Pi Kuan Wei Decoction may have a large beneficial effect on alleviating postprandial fullness (SMD: − 2.14; 95% CI: − 2.76 to 0.70), early satiety (SMD: − 3.90; 95% CI: − 0.68 to − 0.42), and epigastric pain (SMD: − 1.23; 95% CI: − 1.66 to − 0.29). No serious adverse events were reported. Conclusion Modified Zhi Zhu Decoction and Xiao Pi Kuan Wei Decoction may be considered as an alternative for patients unresponsive to prokinetics. Confirmatory head-to-head trials should be conducted to investigate their comparative effectiveness against prokinetics.

scholarly journals Chinese Herbal Medicine for the Treatment of Obesity-Related Hypertension

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Wang ◽  
Bo Feng ◽  
Xingjiang Xiong
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Herbal Medicine ◽  
Chinese Herbal Medicine ◽  
Western Medicine ◽  
Methodological Quality ◽  
Randomized Clinical Trials ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Combination Group ◽  
Chinese Herbal ◽  
Positive Results

Objectives. To assess the clinical evidence of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) for obesity-related hypertension. Search Strategy. Electronic databases were searched until January, 2013.Inclusion Criteria. We included randomized clinical trials (RCTs) testing CHM against nondrug therapy and conventional western medicine, or combined with conventional western medicine against conventional western medicine.Data Extraction and Analyses. Study selection, data extraction, quality assessment, and data analyses were conducted according to Cochrane standards.Results. 11 trials were included. Methodological quality was evaluated as low. 1 trial investigated the efficacy of CHM plus nondrug therapy versus nondrug therapy. Positive results in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (WMD: −5.40 [-5.88,-4.92];P<0.00001) were found in combination group. 1 trial investigated the efficacy of CHM versus conventional western medicine. Positive results in systolic blood pressure (SBP) (WMD: −1.39 [-2.11,-0.67];P=0.0002) were found in CHM. 9 trials investigated the efficacy of CHM plus conventional western medicine versus conventional western medicine. Positive results in SBP (WMD: -6.71 [-11.08,-1.25];P=0.02) were found in combination group. The safety of CHM is unknown.Conclusions. No definite conclusion could be got due to poor methodological quality. Rigorously designed trials are warranted to confirm these results.

scholarly journals Chinese Herbal Medicine for the Treatment of Prehypertension

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Wang ◽  
Bo Feng ◽  
Xiaochen Yang ◽  
Wei Liu ◽  
Xingjiang Xiong
Keyword(s):  
Herbal Medicine ◽  
Chinese Herbal Medicine ◽  
Life Style ◽  
Randomized Clinical Trials ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Placebo Control ◽  
Size Estimation ◽  
Chinese Herbal ◽  
Life Style Intervention

Objectives. To assess the current clinical evidence of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) for prehypertension.Search Strategy. Electronic databases were searched until May, 2013.Inclusion Criteria. We included randomized clinical trials testing CHM against life style intervention and no treatment, or combined with life style intervention against life style intervention.Data Extraction and Analyses. Study selection, data extraction, quality assessment, and data analyses were conducted according to Cochrane standards.Results. Five trials were included. Methodological quality of the trials was evaluated as generally low. Only 1 trial reported allocation sequence. No trial reported the allocation concealment, double blinding, placebo control, presample size estimation, intention to treat analysis, and drop-out. All the included trials were not multicenter and large scale. Although meta-analysis showed that CHM is superior to either life style intervention group or no treatment group in decreasing blood pressure, we are unable to draw a definite conclusion on the effect of CHM due to the poor research methods used in the reviewed trials. The safety of CHM is still uncertain.Conclusions. There is no evidence to show that CHM is effective and safe for prehypertension due to serious methodological flaw of the reviewed trials. Rigorously designed trials are warranted to confirm these results.

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