Effects of combined traditional Chinese medicine therapy in patients of lower limbs injuries with osteoporosis: A retrospective paired cohort study.

Studies have confirmed that the health hazards of patients with lower limb injuries combined with osteoporosis are more obvious. This study is mainly based on the Taiwan National Health Insurance Database, and through big data analysis, it shows that the combined treatment of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is helpful to the health of patients with lower limb injuries combined with osteoporosis. A total of 9989 combined TCM-treated patients and 19,978 2:1 sex-, age-, and index-year-matched controls who did not receive TCM treatment were selected from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Database. Cox proportional hazards analyzes were performed to compare fracture surgery, inpatient, and all-cause mortality during a mean follow-up period of 17 years. A total of 5406/8601/2564 enrolled-subjects (14.11%/25.46%/5.53%) had fracture surgery/inpatient/all-cause mortality, including 1409/2543/552 in the combined TCM group (14.11%/25.46%/5.53%) and 3997/6058/2012 in the control group (20.01%/30.32%/10.07%). Cox proportional hazard regression analysis showed a lower rate of fracture surgery, inpatient and all-cause mortality for subjects in the combined TCM group (adjusted hazard ratios [HR] = 0.723; 95% confidence intervals [CI] = 0.604-0.810, P < .001; adjusted hazard ratios [HR] = 0.803; 95% CI = 0.712-0.950, P = .001; adjusted HR = 0.842; 95% CI = 0.731-0.953, P = .007, respectively). After 10 years of follow-up, the cumulative incidence of fracture surgery in patients combining TCM treatment seems to be half of that without combining TCM treatment those are shown in Kaplan-Meier analysis with statistically significant (log rank, P < .001, P < .001, and P = .010, respectively). This study hopes to provide clinicians with the option of combined TCM treatment for patients of lower limbs injuries combined with osteoporosis, so that such patients will be associate with a lower risk of fracture surgery, inpatient or all-cause mortality.

Traditional Chinese medicine attenuates hospitalization and mortality risks in diabetic patients with carcinoma in situ in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic patients are at high risk of developing cancer. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has become increasingly popular as an adjuvant treatment for patients with chronic diseases, and some studies have identified its beneficial effect in diabetic patients with cancer. The purpoes of this study was to outline the potential of TCM to attenuate hospitalization and mortality rates in diabetic patients with carcinoma in situ (CIS). METHODS: A total of 6,987 diabetic subjects with CIS under TCM therapy were selected from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan, along with 38,800 of 1:1 sex-, age-, and index year-matched controls without TCM therapy. Cox proportional hazard analysis was conducted to compare hospitalization and mortality rates during an average of 15 years of follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 3,999/1,393 enrolled-subjects (28.62%/9.97%) had hospitalization/mortality, including 1,777/661 in the TCM group (25.43%/9.46%) and 2,222/732 in the control group (31.80%/10.48%). Cox proportional hazard regression analysis showed a lower rate of hospitalization and mortality for subjects in the TCM group (adjusted HR=0.536; 95% CI=0.367-0.780, P<0.001; adjusted HR=0.783; 95% CI=0.574-0.974, P = 0.022). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the cumulative risk of hospitalization and mortality in the case and control groups was significantly different (log rank, P<0.001 and P = 0.011, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Diabetic patients with CIS under TCM therapy were associated with lower hospitalization and mortality rates compared to those without TCM therapy. Thus, TCM application may reduce the burden of national medical resources.