Evaluating the usefulness of Ninjin'yoeito Kampo medicine in combination with rehabilitation therapy in patients with frailty complicated by intractable dizziness

Abstract

Patients with chronic intractable dizziness (henceforth referred to as “intractable dizziness”) have a high risk of developing frailty complications. This warrants investigation of a combined treatment for intractable dizziness and frailty. Ninjin'yoeito (NYT), a traditional Japanese medicine (Kampo medicine), is reportedly effective in treating frailty and sarcopenia. Herein, we report on the results of a retrospective study that involved the combined application of NYT and dizziness rehabilitation therapy (henceforth referred to as “dizziness rehabilitation”). Of the 31 patients with intractable dizziness, 14 developed frailty, indicating a complication rate of 45.2%. This in turn was approximately 4 times higher than the previously reported rates. Eleven patients became non-frail after 6 months of the combined treatment, and their improvement rate was 78.6%. The aforementioned combination therapy not only improved dizziness but also improved frailty. Following 6 months of combined treatment, patients in the frailty group exhibited improvement in the Dizziness Handicap Inventory score, frailty symptoms, Kihon checklist score, and visual analog scale score (fatigue), and approached the pre-treatment values of those in the non-frailty group. Together, our results highlight the need to combine the treatment for intractable dizziness and frailty.