Advantages Of Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Articles

Influencing factors of hospitalization cost of hypertension patients in traditional Chinese medicine hospitals.

This study aimed to analyze the influencing factors of hospitalization cost of hypertensive patients in TCM (traditional Chinese medicine, TCM) hospitals, which can provide a scientific basis for hospitals to control the hospitalization cost of hypertension. In this study, 3,595 hospitalized patients with a primary diagnosis of tertiary hypertension in Tianshui City Hospital of TCM, Gansu Province, China, from January 2017 to June 2022, were used as research subjects. Using univariate analysis to identify the relevant variables of hospitalization cost, followed by incorporating the statistically significant variables of univariate analysis as independent variables in multiple linear regression analysis, and establishing the path model based on the results of the multiple linear regression finally, to explore the factors influencing hospitalization cost comprehensively. The results showed that hospitalization cost of hypertension patients were mainly influenced by length of stay, age, admission pathways, payment methods of medical insurance, and visit times, with length of stay being the most critical factor. The Chinese government should actively exert the characteristics and advantages of TCM in the treatment of chronic diseases such as hypertension, consistently optimize the treatment plans of TCM, effectively reduce the length of stay and steadily improve the health literacy level of patients, to alleviate the illnesses pain and reduce the economic burden of patients.

Traditional Chinese medicine in osteoporosis: from pathogenesis to potential activity.

Osteoporosis characterized by decreased bone density and mass, is a systemic bone disease with the destruction of microstructure and increase in fragility. Osteoporosis is attributed to multiple causes, including aging, inflammation, diabetes mellitus, and other factors induced by the adverse effects of medications. Without treatment, osteoporosis will further progress and bring great trouble to human life. Due to the various causes, the treatment of osteoporosis is mainly aimed at improving bone metabolism, inhibiting bone resorption, and promoting bone formation. Although the currently approved drugs can reduce the risk of fragility fractures in individuals, a single drug has limitations in terms of safety and effectiveness. By contrast, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), a characteristic discipline in China, including syndrome differentiation, Chinese medicine prescription, and active ingredients, shows unique advantages in the treatment of osteoporosis and has received attention all over the world. Therefore, this review summarized the pathogenic factors, pathogenesis, therapy limitations, and advantages of TCM, aiming at providing new ideas for the prevention and treatment of OP.

Research Progress of Flavonoids in The Treatment of Diabetic Nephropathy

The advantages of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of diabetes mellitus are stable efficacy, fewer adverse reactions, and multi-target effects. Flavonoids, as active ingredients widely distributed in plants, play an important role in the prevention and treatment of diabetes and its complications. During the past few years, domestic and foreign research have founded the application prospect of flavonoids for diabetes mellitus, which offers a new way of researching in this field. This article reviews the research on flavonoids in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy at home and abroad.

Research Progress in Single-herb Chinese Medicine and Compound Medicine for Knee Osteoarthritis.

Due to an increase in the aging population, osteoarthritis (OA), especially knee osteoarthritis (KOA), has increasingly become one of the diseases affecting the quality of life of the elderly. As the pathogenesis of KOA is still unclear, Western medicine treatment lacks specificity, and surgical treatment is difficult to cover all patients. Therefore, in recent years, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for the conservative treatment of KOA has received increasing attention. The advantages of TCM are clear， such as relief of symptoms, fewer adverse reactions, and wider applicability to patients. This paper mainly discusses the research progress in single-herb TCM and TCM compounds for KOA, aiming to demonstrate the effectiveness of TCM in the treatment of KOA. It also provides ideas for future research on the treatment of KOA by TCM and the pathogenesis of knee osteoarthritis.

Traditional Chinese medicines treat ischemic stroke and their main bioactive constituents and mechanisms.

Ischemic stroke (IS) remains one of the leading causes of death and disability in humans. Unfortunately, none of the treatments effectively provide functional benefits to patients with IS, although many do so by targeting different aspects of the ischemic cascade response. The advantages of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in preventing and treating IS are obvious in terms of early treatment and global coordination. The efficacy of TCM and its bioactive constituents has been scientifically proven over the past decades. Based on clinical trials, this article provides a review of commonly used TCM patent medicines and herbal decoctions indicated for IS. In addition, this paper also reviews the mechanisms of bioactive constituents in TCM for the treatment of IS in recent years, both domestically and internationally. A comprehensive review of preclinical and clinical studies will hopefully provide new ideas to address the threat of IS.

Interpretation and review of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Hypertension in China (2020 edition) and exploration of traditional Chinese medicine for antihypertensive treatment

Hypertension is the most important risk factor for cardiovascular disease-related deaths among urban and rural residents, and it has become a significant global public health issue. In October 2022, the Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Hypertension in China(hereinafter referred to as the Practice Guidelines) were jointly released by the National Cardiovascular Center and other academic organizations. The Practice Guidelines sparked extensive discussions as they clearly lowered the diagnostic criteria for hypertension, raised the blood pressure targets for elderly patients, and proposed changes in the timing of early medication intervention. While these adjustments have some international evidence-based support, there is still debate regarding the cardiovascular benefits of intensified blood pressure control based on the existing level of evidence. Furthermore, whether the series of new standards proposed in the Practice Guidelines are suitable for the Chinese population and whether the hypertension control level in primary care in China can adapt to the new diagnostic and treatment standards require further in-depth research. In contrast to the strict blood pressure control concept emphasized in the Practice Guidelines, traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) emphasizes the concept of comprehensive prevention and treatment and holistic therapy in the treatment of hypertension, including prehypertension, hypertension, and target organ damage. In recent years, based on abundant clinical trial research and high-quality evidence-based support, the advantages of TCM in treating hypertension have gradually emerged. Previous studies by this research team have found that the pathogenesis of hypertension includes three major types: fire syndrome, fluid retention syndrome, and deficiency syndrome. TCM treatment of hypertension features stable blood pressure reduction, gentle blood pressure lowering, and long-lasting effects. In addition to blood pressure reduction, it also has effects such as reversing risk factors and protecting target organ damage. It demonstrates the characteristics of multiple targets, multiple components, and comprehensive regulation, and can be applied throughout the entire process of prevention and treatment, including prehypertension, hypertension, and target organ damage in the early, middle, and late stages of hypertension. Therefore, it has certain clinical application prospects.

Curative effect of medicine cake sticking ultrasound drug penetration combined with body training on hemiplegia after stroke: An in vitro ultrasound targeted drug controlled release technology

To explore the efficacy of ultrasound drugs in the treatment of hemiplegia after stroke. The evaluation included clinical symptoms and signs, the Stroke Scale, activities of daily living, sensory disorder Fugl-Meyer and Lindmark, electromyography sensory nerve amplitude, and conduction velocity indexes in both groups. There was no significant difference in the improved Fugl-Meyer and Lindmark score between treatment (26.97 ± 2.78) and the control group (27.45 ± 3.1) (t = 14.528, P = 0.593). After treatment, the observation group (37.10 ± 4.2) was significantly different from the control group (34.76 ± 4.36) (t = 11.259, P = 0.005) and (t = 10.15 ± 1.69), (40.87 ± 6.58) (t = 7.943,9.538, P = 0.564,0.826). After treatment, the observation group the Stroke Scale (4.27 ± 0.57), activities of daily living score (76.15 ± 12.38) and the control group (5.36 ± 0.89), (58.41 ± 9.69) (t = 16.274,5.379, P = 0.035,0.000) after treatment and F wave and M wave. The cure rate of the observation group was 77.50% (31/40), which was significantly better than that of the control group, 47.50% (19/40), with a significant difference (χ2 = 11.724,P = 0.000). After comparison, the total response rate of the observed group reached 92.500% (37 / 40), which was significantly higher than the 80.00% (32 / 40) of the control group. This difference was statistically significant (χ 2 = 9.458, P = 0.015). This therapy closely links the theoretical knowledge of modern medicine with the theoretical knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine, and uses the meridian theory to give full play to the unique advantages of traditional Chinese medicine.

Whole-course management of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of EGFRIs related skin toxicity in lung cancer: A series of clinical studies.

e21047 Background: Epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors (EGFRIs) significantly prolong the survival of advanced lung cancer patients. Skin toxicities are the most common side effects caused by EGFRIs, which have the limited standard treatment, and seriously affect the long-term use of EGFRIs and the quality of life. Rash is the main type in the early stage of skin toxicity, and xerosis commonly complicated by pruritus usually occurs in the later stage regularly. Our team carried out a series of clinical studies, taking advantage of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in syndrome differentiation and treatment, to observe the efficacy and safety of TCM in the treatment of EGFRIs-related skin toxicity following in order. Methods: From September 2016 to September 2018, patients who occurred xerosis after using EGFRIs were enrolled and randomly divided into the treatment group and control group, respectively receiving Zizao Yangrong granules (ZYG) and placebo granules combined with vitamin E ointment. And then from August 2018 to September 2020, patients suffering from EGFRIs-related moderate to severe rash were enrolled and randomly divided into the treatment group and the control group, receiving Zhiyang Pingfu liquid and placebo liquid respectively, combined with minocycline and methylprednisolone for 14 days. Finally, based on the participants of the preliminary clinical trials, progression free survival (PFS) was determined by telephone follow-up every 3 months in patients with EGFRIs-related xerosis. Results: 66 patients finished the study of EGFRIs-related xerosis. The effective rates of xerosis among the treatment group and the control group were 84.8% and 69.7% (P < 0.05). The patients in the experimental group had better quality of life than that in the control group (P = 0.045). 54 patients finished the topical TCM for moderate to severe rash study, which the effective rates among the treatment group and the control group were 81.48% and 55.56% (P = 0.040). The median total dose of oral minocycline administration in the treatment group was lower than that in the control group (1000mg vs. 1400mg). In the end, 54 patients who received ZYG were successfully followed up. The median PFS in the treatment group was 41.6 months, and 40.9 months in the control group (HR = 0.85, 95%CI 0.48~1.51, P = 0.586). The median DLQI score of the 19 patients who received ZYG more than 8 weeks was 6, significantly higher than 4 before treatment (P＜0. 001). Conclusions: TCM had the great efficacy and safety in the treatment of EGFRIs related dermal toxicity, significantly improving the quality of life for patients. Long-term application of TCM will not affect the PFS of EGFRIs. The series of clinical studies suggested that the whole-course management of TCM in the treatment of EGFRIs related skin toxicity can increase the overall benefit of advanced lung cancer patients. Clinical trial information: ChiCTR1800017053 .

The construction of a TCM knowledge graph and application of potential knowledge discovery in diabetic kidney disease by integrating diagnosis and treatment guidelines and real-world clinical data.

Background: The complexity and rapid progression of lesions in diabetic kidney disease pose significant challenges for clinical diagnosis and treatment. The advantages of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in diagnosing and treating this condition have gradually become evident. However, due to the disease's complexity and the individualized approach to diagnosis and treatment in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine guidelines have limitations in guiding the treatment of diabetic kidney disease. Most medical knowledge is currently stored in the process of recording medical records, which hinders the understanding of diseases and the acquisition of diagnostic and treatment knowledge among young doctors. Consequently, there is a lack of sufficient clinical knowledge to support the diagnosis and treatment of diabetic kidney disease in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Objective: To build a comprehensive knowledge graph for the diagnosis and treatment of diabetic kidney disease in Traditional Chinese Medicine, utilizing clinical guidelines, consensus, and real-world clinical data. On this basis, the knowledge of Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis and treatment of diabetic kidney disease was systematically combed and mined. Methods: Normative guideline data and actual medical records were used to construct a knowledge graph of Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis and treatment for diabetic kidney disease and the results obtained by data mining techniques enrich the relational attributes. Neo4j graph database was used for knowledge storage, visual knowledge display, and semantic query. Utilizing multi-dimensional relations with hierarchical weights as the core, a reverse retrieval verification process is conducted to address the critical problems of diagnosis and treatment put forward by experts. Results: 903 nodes and 1670 relationships were constructed under nine concepts and 20 relationships. Preliminarily a knowledge graph for Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis and treatment of diabetic kidney disease was constructed. Based on the multi-dimensional relationships, the diagnosis and treatment questions proposed by experts were validated through multi-hop queries of the graphs. The results were confirmed by experts and showed good outcomes. Conclusion: This study systematically combed the Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis and treatment knowledge of diabetic kidney disease by constructing the knowledge graph. Furthermore, it effectively solved the problem of "knowledge island". Through visual display and semantic retrieval, the discovery and sharing of diagnosis and treatment knowledge of diabetic kidney disease were realized.

A new approach to overcoming antibiotic-resistant bacteria: Traditional Chinese medicine therapy based on the gut microbiota.

With the irrational use of antibiotics and the increasing abuse of oral antibiotics, the drug resistance of gastrointestinal pathogens has become a prominent problem in clinical practice. Gut microbiota plays an important role in maintaining human health, and the change of microbiota also affects the activity of pathogenic bacteria. Interfering with antibiotic resistant bacteria by affecting gut microbiota has also become an important regulatory signal. In clinical application, due to the unique advantages of traditional Chinese medicine in sterilization and drug resistance, it is possible for traditional Chinese medicine to improve the gut microbial microenvironment. This review discusses the strategies of traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of drug-resistant bacterial infections by changing the gut microenvironment, unlocking the interaction between microbiota and drug resistance of pathogenic bacteria.

Review: Mechanisms and perspective treatment of radioresistance in non-small cell lung cancer.

Radiotherapy is the major treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The radioresistance and toxicity are the main obstacles that leading to therapeutic failure and poor prognosis. Oncogenic mutation, cancer stem cells (CSCs), tumor hypoxia, DNA damage repair, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and tumor microenvironment (TME) may dominate the occurrence of radioresistance at different stages of radiotherapy. Chemotherapy drugs, targeted drugs, and immune checkpoint inhibitors are combined with radiotherapy to treat NSCLC to improve the efficacy. This article reviews the potential mechanism of radioresistance in NSCLC, and discusses the current drug research to overcome radioresistance and the advantages of Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in improving the efficacy and reducing the toxicity of radiotherapy.

Progress in research on mechanism of saponins in treating osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease caused by a variety of factors, which is highly prevalent in the elderly population and is mainly characterized by articular cartilage degeneration and surrounding bone regeneration, with clinical manifestations of repeated joint swelling, pain, stiffness and joint deformity at a later stage. OA is a chronic disease that gives elderly patients and their relatives many life inconveniences and economic pressures. According to the practicability and effectiveness of treatment in elderly patients, the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine stand out. At present, the active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine are divided into saponins, saponins, alkaloids and polyphenols, of which saponins are the main active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine. This paper summarizes the research results and progress of icariin, ginsenoside Rg1, astragaloside IV, clematis saponins and other saponins in the treatment of osteoarthritis.

Analysis of the relationship between subclinical hypothyroidism and anxiety and depression based on the theory of "Yi(liver) and Gui(kidney) from same source"

For a long time, the influence of subclinical thyroid dysfunction on anxiety and depression has been ignored, and the focus of research is on the influence of obvious thyroid dysfunction on mood. In recent years, the research on the effect of subclinical hypothyroidism on anxiety and depression has gradually increased, and the effect of subclinical hypothyroidism on mood has been re-emphasized. At present, the main measures for clinical diagnosis and treatment of subclinical hypothyroidism in China are clinical observation rather than drug intervention. In fact, patients do have negative emotional changes, which seriously affect people's sleep, study and work. Therefore, in this context, the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine are highlighted again. This paper aims to explore the essence of the relationship between subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) and anxiety and depression based on the theory of "Yigui homology", so as to provide clinical diagnosis and treatment ideas.

A Chinese Classical Prescription Chaihu Shugan Powder in Treatment of Post-Stroke Depression: An Overview.

Post-stroke depression (PSD) is the most common mental health problem after a stroke with an incidence of up to 33%. PSD has a negative impact on the rehabilitation and recovery of motor and cognitive dysfunction after a stroke and significantly increases the chance of the recurrence of neurovascular events. At present, medication is the preferred method of coping with PSD. Modern medicine is still unclear regarding the pathogenesis of PSD, with clinical drug treatment mostly using antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). However, a high proportion of patients fail to show an adequate antidepressant response and have adverse reactions after taking antidepressants. In recent years, as the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in clinical treatment continue to emerge, Chinese herbal and TCM formulae have begun to enter the awareness of Chinese scholars and even scholars around the world. As a classic formula with a history of more than 400 years, Chaihu Shugan powder (CHSG) has great advantages in the clinical treatment of PSD. Based on existing clinical and experimental studies, this article comprehensively analyzes clinical cases, mechanisms of action, and drug and chemical effects of CHSG in the treatment of PSD in order to provide more clinical experience and experimental theoretical support for CHSG in the treatment of PSD.

Application regularity and solution strategies of mineral medicine Cinnabaris in pediatric preparations

Mineral medicine is a characteristic element of advantage of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), which embodies unique scientific connotation. Cinnabaris is a characteristic drug in Chinese medicinal preparations, especially in Chinese medicinal pediatric preparations. Because of the adverse reactions caused by mercury contained, the safety and application of Cinnabaris have attracted much attention. To explore the application regularity and the value of the pediatric preparations containing Cinnabaris, this study statistically analyzed 32 Cinnabaris-contained pediatric preparations in the 2020 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and 105 pediatric preparations containing Cinnabaris in the Dictionary of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prescriptions(Vol. Ⅰ and Ⅱ). The statistical results indicated that the pediatric preparations and formulae containing Cinnabaris had great advantages in the treatment of pediatric convulsions, but there were still problems in dosage form, dosage, and quality control. In this study, ICP-MS and LC-AFS were further used to determine the content of total mercury and soluble mercury in 15 commercially available pediatric preparations containing Cinnabaris. It was found that the total mercury content was far higher than soluble mercury content in the sample preparations, and there was no obvious correlation between them. According to the results, the research and application strategies of Cinnabaris were put forward in order to provide references for the rational application of Cinnabaris in pediatric preparations.

Application of “TCM + Smart Elderly Care” in the Medical-Nursing Care Integration Service System

As a country with the fastest population aging rate in the world, China’s existing elderly care and medical resources are not enough to meet the growing and complex needs of elderly care and health services. The Chinese government is actively promoting the integrated development of medical and elderly care institutions, but it has yet to give full play to the inexpensive and existing advantages of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of diseases and rehabilitation of the elderly, by sorting out the advantages of “TCM + intelligent pension” in medical expenses, pension costs, disease prevention, intelligent pension services, and so on. In view of the current problems existing in China’s pension, this paper mainly proposes to solve the pension dilemma in China from several aspects: improving the supervision and evaluation system, increasing capital investment, building a unified digital medical and pension service platform, and strengthening the talent training in the field of traditional Chinese medicine integration. The application of the “TCM + smart elderly care” system into the medical and elderly care service system is promoted to effectively improve the operation efficiency of the whole medical and elderly care service system and the satisfaction of elderly families.

Exploring the Anti-Inflammatory Mechanism of Tieguanyin (TGY) Volatile Compounds Based on Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GCMS)- Network Pharmacology.

Inflammation is a common disease which can induce many diseases. There are unique advantages of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to anti-inflammation. Tieguanyin (TGY) is a well-known beverage; the quality is determined by aroma, taste, liquor color, and shape. The volatile compounds produce the flavor of tea, which can be lost with the increase of storage time. TGY has an excellent antiinflammatory effect; its volatile compounds also have an anti-inflammatory impact that is unclear. This study aimed to identify volatile compounds and anti-inflammatory mechanisms within the validity period (TGY1) and the out-of-date (TGY2). The volatile compounds of TGY1 and TGY2 were analyzed with headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-PME) and identified by Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The percentage of volatile compounds was calculated by the peak area normalization method. The compounds of the targets were obtained from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP), PubChem Database, and Swiss Target Prediction database. Next, the disease potential targets were screened by the GeneCards database, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMM) database, and Therapeutic Target Database (TTD). Furthermore, core targets were screened by the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Inter-acting Genes/Proteins (STRING) database. Then, Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis of core targets was performed by the ClueGo plugin Cytoscape 3.7.1 software. At last, Autodock vina software performed molecular docking between the main compounds and core targets. Significant differences in volatile compounds and percentage contents in TGY were observed; the 61 volatile compounds in TGY1 and 57 volatile compounds in TGY2 were identified. After excluding the unidentified compounds, a total of 47 volatile compounds were obtained from TGY1 and TGY2. With the use of network pharmacology, 34 core targets and 23 signaling pathways from TGY1, 28 core targets, and 19 signaling pathways from TGY2 were screened. The main common core targets of TGY1 and TGY2 contained MAPK3, TNF, MAPK1, SRC, etc., while the main different core targets included PTGS2, CAT, etc. A total of 12 biological processes are shared by TGY1 and TGY2, among which the cellular response to oxidative stress is the primary biological process. The different biological processes of TGY1 and TGY2 include cellular response to lipopolysaccharide, androgen receptor signaling pathway, etc. There were 14 common signaling pathways in TGY1 and TGY2, among which the thyroid hormone signaling pathway is the main common signaling pathway. The differential signaling pathways in TGY1 and TGY2 included the erbB signaling pathway, Chagas disease, etc. Molecular docking results showed that the ordinand and differential volatile compounds of TGY1 and TGY2 had different binding forces with the core targets. The GC-MS experiment showed significant differences in volatile compounds and percentage contents in TGY1 and TGY2. Network pharmacology indicated that they have anti-inflammatory effects. Besides, they were different in core targets, biological processes, and signaling pathways but shared similar anti-inflammatory mechanisms. Molecular docking results showed that the binding force of the TGY1 compounds to the core target is greater than that of the TGY2. Therefore, expired TGY affects volatile compounds, resulting in differences in the anti-inflammatory mechanism. The study provided a theoretical framework for further development and application of used medicinal and edible species. In addition, the application of expired TGY under safe conditions can also have anti-inflammatory effects. These results shed new light on the rational use of resources.

Evidence mapping of clinical research on 20 Chinese patent medicines for hypertension

In this study, evidence mapping was employed to sort out and summarise the evidence from clinical studies of Chinese patent medicines for hypertension and to understand the evidence distribution in related studies. Chinese patent medicines for hypertension were searched from Medicine Catalogue for National Basic Medical Insurance, Employment Injury Insurance, and Maternity Insu-rance(2021) and Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2020). Relevant articles(published from January 1, 2016 to February 14, 2022) were retrieved from Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and SinoMed. Then, the evidence distribution was analysed based on description, tables, and bubble charts. A total of 31 Chinese patent medicines were identified and 20 were finally included, involving 111 articles. The basic information of the 20 Chinese patent medicines, the number of related articles, the hypertension staging and traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) syndrome types of the subjects, sample size, interventions, and outcome indicators were compared. The results showed Chinese patent medicines with the function of pacifying liver and eliminating wind were frequently studied, and most of them were single-center, small-sample, short-period randomized controlled trials. They failed to highlight the key and advantages of TCM. A wide variety of outcome indicators were involved, and in addition to blood pressure, surrogate outcome indicators and composite outcome indicators were emphasized. However, health economic indicators, quality of life, and damage to target organs such as blood vessels and heart, were rarely used.

The Role of Gut Microbiota in the Progression of Parkinson's Disease and the Mechanism of Intervention by Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common degenerative disease of the nervous system that seriously affects the quality of life of the patients. The pathogenesis of PD is not yet fully clear. Previous studies have confirmed that patients with PD exhibit obvious gut microbiota imbalance, while intervention of PD by regulating the gut microbiota has become an important approach to the prevention and treatment of this disease. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been shown to be safe and effective in treating PD. It has the advantages of affecting multiple targets. Studies have shown TCM can regulate gut microbiota. However, the specific mechanism of action is still unclear. Therefore, this article will mainly discuss the association of the alteration of the gut microbiota and the incidence of PD, the advantages of TCM in treating PD, and the mechanism of regulating gut microbiota by TCM to treat PD. It will clarify the target and mechanism of TCM treating PD by acting gut microbiota and provided a novel methodology for the prevention and treatment of PD.

Effectiveness and safety of moxibustion for vascular dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background:Vascular dementia (VD) is the only type of dementia that can be prevented and treated. Compared to conventional treatment methods, moxibustion therapy is more effective for VD. This study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of moxibustion in the treatment of VD through a meta-analysis, to provide a complete overview to the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine and provide guidance for clinical application.Methods:Clinical trials on the therapeutic effects of moxibustion or moxibustion combined with acupuncture on VD were retrieved from the VIP information database, Wanfang, CNKI, PubMed, EMBase, and other resources. The included studies were conducted from January 2000 to October 2020. Among the retrieved studies, the content met the standards upon being collated and extracted, and RevMan5.3 was used for meta-analysis.Results:Thirteen randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included with 997 patients. The RevMan bias risk assessment revealed that the quality of the studies was generally low. The meta-analysis showed that compared to conventional treatments, moxibution therapy in terms of effective rate, posttreatment Hasegawa Dementia Scale, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Activity of Daily Living Scale (ADL), Somatostatin (SS), Arginine Vasopressin (AVP), and Syndrome Differentiation Scale of VD were more favorable, and the difference in efficacy was statistically significant. Furthermore, no adverse events were observed in either group. Sensitivity analysis showed strong homogeneity and stable results, whereas funnel plot analysis revealed no significant publication bias.Conclusions:Moxibustion is effective and safe in the treatment of VD, but more high-quality evidence from further studies is required to support this.