Abstract
BackgroundChinese herbal products (CHPs) have been frequently used among patients with chronic diseases including hypertension; however, the co-prescription pattern of herbal formulae and single herbs remain uncharacterized. Thus, this large-scale pharmacoepidemiological study evaluated the frequency and co-prescription pattern of CHPs for treating hypertension in Taiwan from 2003 to 2009.MethodsThe database of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) outpatient claims was obtained from the National Health Insurance in Taiwan. Patients with hypertension during study period were defined according to diagnostic codes in the International Classification of Disease Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification. The frequencies and percentages of herbal formula and single herb prescriptions for hypertension were analyzed. We also applied association rules to evaluate the CHPs co-prescription patterns.ResultsThe hypertension cohort included 154,083 patients, 123,240 patients of which (approximately 80 %) had used TCM at least once. In total, 81,582 visits involving CHP prescriptions were hypertension related; Tian-Ma-Gou-Teng-Yin and Dan Shen (Radix Salvia Miltiorrhizae) were the most frequently prescribed herbal formula and single herb, respectively, for treating hypertension.ConclusionsThis study elucidated the utilization pattern of CHPs for treating hypertension. Future studies on the efficacy and safety of these CHPs and on drug–herb interactions are warranted.
Highlights
Chinese herbal products (CHPs) have been frequently used among patients with chronic diseases including hypertension; the co-prescription pattern of herbal formulae and single herbs remain uncharacterized
Complementary and alternative therapies have become increasingly popular for treating hypertension [7], traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) [8], because of their potential efficacy and few side effects [9, 10]
The electronic database of all claims obtained from the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) website involved medical record files containing patient sex and date of birth, date of medical visits, medical care facilities and specialties, drugs, management and treatment, transferred identification number, and three major diagnoses coded according to the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) format
Summary
Chinese herbal products (CHPs) have been frequently used among patients with chronic diseases including hypertension; the co-prescription pattern of herbal formulae and single herbs remain uncharacterized. This large-scale pharmacoepidemiological study evaluated the frequency and co-prescription pattern of CHPs for treating hypertension in Taiwan from 2003 to 2009. Complementary and alternative therapies have become increasingly popular for treating hypertension [7], traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) [8], because of their potential efficacy and few side effects [9, 10]. Various metaanalyses and systemic reviews have recently evaluated the effectiveness of TCM for hypertension [11]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
