Abstract
Buyang Huanwu Decoction (BHD) is a famous herbal prescription that has been used to treat stroke for centuries. Recent studies reported that the use of BHD had been extended to treat various kinds of disorders according to the TCM syndrome theory of Treating Different Diseases with the Same Method (TDDSM). Here, an overview of systematic reviews (SRs) of BHD for healthcare was conducted to interpret the TCM theory of TDDSM and its target of vascularity in an evidence-based manner. Literature searches were carried out in 5 databases to search SRs of BHD for any indication up to August 2013. Thirteen eligible SRs were identified which reported a wide range of vascular conditions. Based on the Overview Quality Assessment Questionnaire scores, the quality of included SRs was varied, with an average score of 4 points. We found that there is premature evidence for the use of BHD for healthcare, whereas BHD was well tolerable in all patients. BHD can be used to treat many disorders with the same therapeutic principle of invigorating Qi to activate blood circulation, which is essentially a manifestation of the TDDSM and is likely to account for targeting the specific pathogenesis of vascular diseases.
Highlights
ZHENG, known as a syndrome or pattern, is the basic unit and a key concept of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory that summarizes the nature, location, and pattern of diseases and has been used in China for over 3,000 years [1, 2]
Following the TCM syndrome theory, patients suffering from the different diseases might be categorized with the same syndrome and may be treated by a same therapeutic approach known as Treating Different Diseases with the Same Method (Yibing Tongzhi, YBTZ) [2]
Buyang Huanwu Decoction (BHD) in treatment of Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome is likely to aim at the common pathogenesis of vascular diseases
Summary
ZHENG, known as a syndrome or pattern, is the basic unit and a key concept of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory that summarizes the nature, location, and pattern of diseases and has been used in China for over 3,000 years [1, 2]. All diagnostic and therapeutic methods in TCM lie primarily in the syndrome differentiation [2]. One example of high-quality study published in JAMA [4] indicated that using the individualized Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome is more effective than prescribing a common hypnotic prescription. Following the TCM syndrome theory, patients suffering from the different diseases might be categorized with the same syndrome (same TCM syndrome for different diseases) and may be treated by a same therapeutic approach known as Treating Different Diseases with the Same Method (Yibing Tongzhi, YBTZ) [2].
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