0
selected
-
1.
Dietary supplements and herbal medicine for COVID-19: A systematic review of randomized control trials.
Feng, Z, Yang, J, Xu, M, Lin, R, Yang, H, Lai, L, Wang, Y, Wahner-Roedler, DL, Zhou, X, Shin, KM, et al
Clinical nutrition ESPEN. 2021;:50-60
-
-
Free full text
-
Abstract
BACKGROUND The world is currently struggling with the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Dietary supplements (DSs) and herbal medicine provide a potentially convenient and accessible method for its recovery, but direct evidence is limited. OBJECTIVE This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of DSs and herbs in patients with COVID-19. METHODS A systematic literature search was conducted in multiple electronic English and Chinese databases. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving DSs or herbal medicine interventions on patients with COVID-19 from November 2019 to February 2021 were included. Data was extracted, summarized and critically examined. RESULTS Out of 9402 records identified in the initial search, twelve RCTs were included in this review. Risk of bias of these RCTs was deemed high. Most of the trials were of low methodologic quality. Nine studies showed herbal supplements were beneficial to the recovery of COVID-19 patients; zinc sulfate could shorten the duration of loss of smell but not total recovery from COVID-19. No severe adverse events were reported. CONCLUSION Herbal supplements may help patients with COVID-19, zinc sulfate is likely to shorten the duration of olfactory dysfunction. DS therapy and herbal medicine appear to be safe and effective adjuvant therapies for patients with COVID-19. These results must be interpreted with caution due to the overall low quality of the included trials. More well-designed RCTs are needed in the future.
-
2.
Efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal medicine Long Dan Xie Gan Tang in insomnia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Fan, X, Su, Z, Nie, S, Yang, J, Zhang, X, Tan, D, Xie, S, Xu, Y, Zhao, Y, Feng, L, et al
Medicine. 2020;(11):e19410
-
-
Free full text
-
Abstract
BACKGROUND Insomnia is a global public problem, which has a significant negative impact on both physical and mental health, while increasing the economic burden placed on both sufferers and society. Western medicine has a fast treatment on sleep, but it leads to side effects and strong dependence. Long Dan Xie Gan Tang(LDXGT) is a representative Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of insomnia especially which has a bad-tempered symptom, and its effectiveness and safety has been validated clinically. However, there is yet to be any evidence-based medicine. Therefore, the effectiveness and safety of LDXGT in the treatment of insomnia are studied and systematically evaluated in this study. It will provide a theoretical support for the treatment of insomnia compared to western medicine. OBJECTIVE The study is purposed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of LDXGT for the treatment of insomnia. METHODS Search was conducted for various databases including Pubmed, Chinese Biomedicine Database(CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Scientific Journals Database (VIP), and Wan-fang. Randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) were identified for insomnia treatment involving LDXGT and LDXGT combined with ordinary Western medicine. The quality of literature was evaluated by Cochrane assessing tool to reduce the risk of bias. RevMan 5.3 software and STATA 12.0 software were applied to perform the meta-analysis. RESULTS Thirteen studies involving 1181 participants were identified in this systematic review. Few studies described the details of random principle. No placebo was involved in treatment. LDXGT was compared with ordinary Western medicine in 11 trials and with LDXGT combined with conventional Western medicine in 2 trials. The results of our meta-analysis showed the relative benefits in effective rates compared with conventional western medicine. (Odds Ratio [OR]= 4.32, I = 0%,95% confidence interval CI [3.05 to 6.13], P < .00001) and recovery rate was (Odds Ratio [OR] = 2.67, I = 0%,95% confidence interval CI [2.04 to 3.48], P < .00001). In two trials, adverse events were reported, but no serious adverse effects were reported. CONCLUSION Our systematic evaluation will provide evidence for the clinical effectiveness and safety of LDXGT in the treatment of insomnia, and the side effects of western medicine are addressed. Further trials are necessary to collect the evidence for the use of LDXGT.
-
3.
Traditional Chinese Medicine herbs for stopping bleeding from haemorrhoids.
Gan, T, Liu, YD, Wang, Y, Yang, J
The Cochrane database of systematic reviews. 2010;(10):CD006791
Abstract
BACKGROUND Haemorrhoids is a common perianal disease, which often causes haematochezia. Besides a surgical operation or minimally invasive treatment, a variety of traditional Chinese medicinal herbs (TCMHs) have been used to treat bleeding haemorrhoids. OBJECTIVES To assess the effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicinal herbs for stopping bleeding from haemorrhoids and the adverse effects caused by these herbs. SEARCH STRATEGY We searched the Cochrane Colorectal Cancer Group Trials Register, Cochrane Central Register of Contolled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library), MEDLINE, EMBASE, CMCD (Chinese Medicine Conference Disc) and CBMD (Chinese Bio-Medicine Disc). SELECTION CRITERIA All randomised clinical trials (RCTs) of Chinese herbs for bleeding haemorrhoids were included. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Two authors independently extracted the data, which were analysed using RevMan 5.0 software. We estimated the relative risk for dichotomous data and calculated the weighted mean difference for continuous data. MAIN RESULTS Nine trials involving 1822 patients with bleeding haemorrhoids were identified. The included trials were generally not of high quality and used one TCMH preparation compared with another TCMH preparation (Type I) (five trials) or western medicines (Type II) (four trials). We could not pool the data to perform a meta-analysis as only two of the included trials used the same intervention or comparison.In the nine trials, TCMHs showed a statistically significant difference for the improvement in the general curative effects or total grade of symptoms in six trials (P < 0.05; P < 0.01), of hematochezia in three trials (P < 0.05; P < 0.001), and of inflammation of perianal mucosa in one trial (P < 0.05). The adverse effects reported were not serious and were scarce. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS This review did not provide strong evidence concerning the effectiveness of TCMHs for stopping bleeding from haemorrhoids. Most of the included studies were of low quality and there was a scarcity of eligible trials and numbers of participants. Limited, weak evidence showed that some herbal formulae, when including Radix Sanguisorbae, Radix Rehmanniae, Fructus Sophorae, Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Radix Scutellariae, etc., may alleviate some symptoms caused by haemorrhoids. These include hematochezia, congestive haemorrhoidal cushions and inflammation of perianal mucosa in the short term. Well-designed clinical trials are required urgently before any confident conclusions can be drawn about the value of TCMHs for stopping bleeding from haemorrhoids.At present, the evidence is not enough that clinical practice should be changed immediately on the basis of these results.
-
4.
Sanchi for acute ischaemic stroke.
Chen, X, Zhou, M, Li, Q, Yang, J, Zhang, Y, Zhang, D, Kong, S, Zhou, D, He, L
The Cochrane database of systematic reviews. 2008;(4):CD006305
Abstract
BACKGROUND Currently very few drugs are supported for routine use for acute ischaemic stroke. Sanchi is one of the most widely used herbal medicines for ischaemic stroke in China. OBJECTIVES To assess the effectiveness and safety of sanchi in the treatment of acute ischaemic stroke. SEARCH STRATEGY We searched the Cochrane Stroke Group Trials Register (last searched January 2008), the Chinese Stroke Trials Register (searched February 2007), the Cochrane Complementary Medicine Field trials register (searched February 2007), the Chinese Cochrane Centre Controlled Trials Register (last searched February 2007). We also searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library, Issue 1, 2007), MEDLINE (1966 to February 2007), EMBASE (1980 to February 2007), CINAHL (1982 to February 2007), AMED (1985 to February 2007), CNKI (1979 to February 2007), CBM-disc (1979 to February 2007), Chinese scientific periodical database of VIP INFORMATION (1989 to February 2007), Wanfang Data (1982 to February 2007), CISCOM (1980 to February 2007), and TCMLARS (1984 to February 2007). SELECTION CRITERIA Randomised controlled trials comparing sanchi with placebo or no treatment for acute ischaemic stroke within 30 days of onset. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Two review authors extracted data and assessed trial quality. MAIN RESULTS Eight trials involving 660 participants were included. Seven of the eight studies were of poor quality. Follow-up time was less than one month in six trials. Only two trials provided data for the number of participants who were dead or dependent at the end of 28 days of treatment, indicating a significantly lower rate of death and dependency in the sanchi group than in the control group (relative risk (RR) 0.63, 95% confidence interval (Cl) 0.45 to 0.88). One trial reported higher Barthel index scores in the sanchi group. Pooled analysis of seven trials indicated that sanchi might improve neurological deficit more than control with a significant difference (RR 0.29, 95%Cl 0.18 to 0.47). The total case fatality rate was lower than 1% indicating that participants probably had mild strokes. Few adverse events were reported. Data were limited in respect of stroke recurrence and quality of life. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS Sanchi appears to be beneficial and safe for acute ischaemic stroke in this review, but the small sample and inferior quality of studies prevented a definite conclusion. More well-designed randomised controlled trials are required.