Chinese patent medicine for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease based on principles of tonifying Qi, promoting blood circulation by removing blood stasis, and resolving phlegm: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of Chinese patent medicine (CPM) with the principle of tonifying Qi, promoting blood circulation by removing blood stasis, and resolving phlegm (TQ-PBC-RP) in the management of stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) identified from electronic databases and print was conducted. RCTs testing CPMs with TQ-PBC-RP against any type of controlled intervention in patients with stable COPD and assessing clinically relevant outcomes were included. Methodological quality was evaluated with the risk of bias tool according to systematic review handbook 5.0.2. Quality of evidence was estimated by the rating approach developed by the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation Working Group. RESULTS: Thirteen eligible RCTs with 12 oral CPMs were tested. Significant differences between groups in favor of CPMs were not reported in all trials. Most trials included were deemed to be of low methodological quality with poor evidence quality. Because of large data heterogeneity, statistical pooling was not performed for all outcomes. CONCLUSION: The effectiveness of CPM in the treatment of stable COPD is not supported by evidence. Currently, evidence from RCTs is scarce and methodologically weak. Considering the popularity of CPMs among patients undergoing COPD, rigorously designed trials are warranted.

Effect of bufei granule on stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a randomized, double blinded, placebo-controlled, and multicenter clinical study.

OBJECTIVE: To study the therapeutic effect Bufei granule, which is a traditional Chinese drug that can enhance the immune function of the lung, on patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: This is a randomized, double blinded, placebo-controlled, and multicenter clinical study. Three medical centers in Tianjin, China, participated in the trial. A total of 140 patients with stable COPD were enrolled and randomized into two groups, with 70 patients in each. The treatment group was treated with Bufei granule, while the control group received Bufei placebo. The pharmacological treatment lasted for 12 weeks from the date of enrollment. Then, the indexes of patients were observed. Data were analyzed to study the effect of Bufei granule, with the frequency of acute exacerbation as the primary outcome. Traditional Chinese Medicine syndromes, Modified British Medical Research Council dyspnea scale score, St. George's respiratory questionnaire scores, pulmonary function, and serum inflammatory marker levels [including interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and transformation growth factor-beta1] were the secondary outcomes. RESULTS: During the 12-week treatment, treatment and control groups had no adverse reactions. The analysis of the indexes obtained from all patients showed that the therapeutic effect in the treatment group was significantly better than that in the control group because most of the similar probabilities of primary and secondary outcomes were less than 0.05, except for the level of IL-6. CONCLUSION: Bufei granule can treat patients with stable COPD by lowering the frequency of acute exacerbation, improving the quality of life, and alleviating the severity of inflammation.