Oral Chinese herbal medicine for improvement of quality of life in patients with chronic heart failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Chronic heart failure (CHF) is not only a leading cause of death, hospitalization, and rehospitalization, but also significantly decreases quality of life (QoL). This study aims to evaluate published clinical trials of oral Chinese herbal medicine (OCHM) for improvement of QoL in patients with CHF that employ the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) score as an outcome measure. METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed using five databases up to June 2013 to identify randomized control trials (RCTs). RCTs involving OCHM plus conventional medicine treatment (CMT) with or without blinding, compared with CMT with or without placebo, with MLHFQ score as an outcome measure were identified. The methodological quality of RCTs was assessed independently using the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Review of Interventions. RevMan 5.2.5 and Stata 11.0 were used for data analysis. RESULTS: Thirty-eight RCTs with a total of 3,170 participants were identified. The majority of the included trials were assessed to be of high clinical heterogeneity and poor methodological quality. The main results of meta-analysis showed improvement of total MLHFQ score when OCHM plus CMT compared with CMT with or without placebo [MD = -5.71 (-7.07, -4.36), p < 0.01]. CONCLUSIONS: There is some encouraging evidence of OCHM combined with CMT for the improvement of QoL in CHF patients. However, the evidence remains weak due to the small sample size, high clinical heterogeneity, and poor methodological quality of the included trials. Further, large sample size and well-designed trials are needed.

[Vacuum therapy for erectile dysfunction that fails to respond to PDE-5i: report of 70 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of the Osbon ErecAid Vacuum Therapy System in the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) that fails to respond to PDE-5i. METHODS: This study included 70 cases of ED not responding to the medication of PDE-5i. The patients were aged 25 -66 (38.9 +/- 9.1) years. Under our direction, the patients used the Osbon ErecAid Vacuum Therapy System for a month to increase blood oxygenation to the corpora cavernosa, and then employed the vacuum constriction device (VCD) to maintain penile erection for sexual intercourse. We compared their IIEF-5 scores and their and their partners' sexual satisfaction before and 3 months after treatment, and evaluated the safety and effect of the vacuum therapy. RESULTS: The mean IIEF-5 scores of the patients were significantly increased from 10.2 +/- 4.0 before treatment to 13.3 +/- 4.7 at 3 months after the vacuum therapy (P < 0.05). The rate of therapeutic effectiveness was 77.1% (54/70), and the rates of sexual satisfaction of the patients and their partners were 64.3% (45/70) and 65.7% (46/70), CONCLUSION: Vacuum therapy for ED that does not respond to PDE-5i can significantly improve the patients' erectile function as well as their and their partners'sexual satisfaction, and therefore deserves clinical application.

Treatment of acute gouty arthritis by blood-letting cupping plus herbal medicine.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the therapeutic effect of blood-letting cupping plus herbal medicine for acute gouty arthritis. METHODS: The 34 cases of acute gouty arthritis were treated by blood-letting cupping plus herbal medicine. RESULTS: 21 cases were cured and 13 cases improved. CONCLUSION: The therapeutic effect of this therapy was satisfactory for gouty arthritis.

[Clinical observation of modified Suan Zao Ren decoction on insomnia of chronic hepatitis B patients].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of modified Suan Zao Ren Decoction (mediation decoction) on insomnia of chronic hepatitis B patients with stagnation of the Liver-Qi and deficiency of blood syndrome. METHODS: Sixty-five patients of chronic hepatitis B with stagnation of the Liver-Qi, deficiency of the spleen and damp-heat syndrome were randomly divided into two groups. Thirty-three patients in the treatment group were treated by modified Suan Zao Ren Decoction, and thirty-two patients in the control group were treated by Surazepam and Diammonium Glycyrrhizinate. The clinical syndromes of insomnia and liver function were observed before and after treatment. RESULTS: After one months of treatment, the main symptoms and signs of insomnia are improved in both groups, stage I and II sleep decreaed significantly while stage Il, IV and rapid eye movement increased in insomniacs after treatment of modified Suan Zao Ren Decoction (P < 0.05). The total effective rate was not significantly different between the two groups (P > 0.05), while the markedly effective rate was significantly different (P < 0.05). In the same time, ALT, AST, TB levels of two groups were obviously decreased (P < 0.01, P < 0.05), AST levels of two groups after treatment were significant different (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Modified Suan Zao Ren Decoction is effective for improving sleep composition, and therefore improve the quality of sleep with few side effect. In the same time, it has the function in improving liver function, and can be used to treat chronic hepatitis B patients with insomnia.

[Clinical study of method of strengthening body resistance and disintoxication disintoxication in patients with HCC of post-TACE].

OBJECTIVE: To research the effect of a complex prescription of Chinese crude drug with the function of strengthening body resistance and disintoxication disintoxication in patients with HCC of post-TACE. METHOD: 45 patients with HCC of post-TACE, as the treatment group, were treated by a complex prescription of Chinese crude drug with the function of strengthening body resistance and disintoxication disintoxication and routine methods of protecting liver. Other 37 patients, as the control group, with the same clinical feature were treated by routine methods of protecting liver only. In the later 1 month, accumulated points of clinical symptom, hepatic function and AFP were observed in all of the patients. And the clinical effect of the two groups was compared. RESULT: One week later, in the treatment group, there is no improvement in anorexia but nausea, abdominal distention and lassitude were improved more obviously than pretherapy in both a week and one month later (P < 0.01 or P <0.05). In the control group, anorexia were improved a week later (P <0.05), but there is no improvement in nausea, abdominal distention and lassitude at the same time, and one month later all of the indexes above improved (P <0.01 or P <0.05). Accumulated points of clinical symptom was decreased more obviously in the treatment group than in the control group in both a week and one month later (P <0.05). At the end of the therapy, in the both groups, ALT, TBIL and AFP all improved except ALB, (P <0.01 or P <0.05). And TBIL improved more obviously in the treatment group than in the control one month later (P <0.05). CONCLUSION: This complex prescription of Chinese crude drug can lighten the adverse reaction of post-TACE. And also it can promote the recovery of liver function and evaluate the quality of lives of such patients.

[Clinical study of treatment nonalcoholic fatty liver with qianggan capsule].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutic effect of Qianggan capsule on the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-two patients of nonalcoholic fatty liver were randomly divided into two groups, 64 patients in the treated group were treated by Qianggan capsule, 5 granule every time, twice per day and the 58 patients in control group were treated by tiopronin, 0. 2 gram every time, third per day with a therapeutic course of 3 months. RESULT: Serum levels of ALT and gamma-GT were decreased significantly after the treatment of Qianggan capsule (P <0.05). However, TG levels seemed decreased but have not significant difference after the treatment of Qianggan capsule. The serum level of ALT in control group decreased markedly after treatment (P < 0.05), but no obvious change was seen in gamma-GT and TG in control group after treatment. The total effective rate in the treated group was higher than those in the control group (79.69% vs 62.07%, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Qianggan capsule is an effective recipe in treating nonalcoholic fatty liver.