Abstract
Background The treatment effects and safety of Ma-Huang-Fu-Zi-Xi-Xin decoction for patients with allergic rhinitis have yet to be clarified. Objectives The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects and safety of Ma-Huang-Fu-Zi-Xi-Xin decoction in patients with allergic rhinitis. Methods We searched PubMed, EMBASE (Excerpta Medical Database), Cochrane Library, Chinese Cochrane Centre's Controlled Trials Register Platform, Wanfang Chinese Digital Periodical and Conference Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) Database, and VIP Chinese Science and Technique Journals Database to collect randomized controlled trials of Ma-Huang-Fu-Zi-Xi-Xin decoction (MHFZXXD) for allergic rhinitis (AR) prior to May 8, 2017. RevMan 5.3 software was used to conduct a meta-analysis. GRADE methodology was applied to evaluate the evidence quality for each outcome. Results Six randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 576 participants (10–78 years old) were included. A meta-analysis revealed that the overall effect of MHFZXXD for AR was not better than western medical treatment (RR: 0.41; 95% CI: 0.26–0.65; P = 0.0001) for all included studies. However, the evidence quality of these western medical intervention studies was low or very low due to a high risk of bias, small sample sizes, and poor-quality design.
Highlights
Allergic rhinitis (AR) is defined as chronic inflammation of the nasal mucous membrane, typically induced by immunoglobulin E- (IgE-) mediated sensitization to environmental allergens
We initially identified a total of 53 trials using the specific search strategy in our protocol
Current evidence suggests that Ma-Huang-Fu-Zi-Xi-Xin decoction (MHFZXXD) alone cannot be recommended for the treatment of allergic rhinitis (AR)
Summary
Allergic rhinitis (AR) is defined as chronic inflammation of the nasal mucous membrane, typically induced by immunoglobulin E- (IgE-) mediated sensitization to environmental allergens. These include dust, domestic animals, pollens, and molds. The treatment effects and safety of Ma-Huang-Fu-Zi-Xi-Xin decoction for patients with allergic rhinitis have yet to be clarified. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects and safety of Ma-Huang-Fu-Zi-Xi-Xin decoction in patients with allergic rhinitis. A metaanalysis revealed that the overall effect of MHFZXXD for AR was not better than western medical treatment (RR: 0.41; 95% CI: 0.26–0.65; P = 0.0001) for all included studies. The evidence quality of these western medical intervention studies was low or very low due to a high risk of bias, small sample sizes, and poor-quality design
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