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Meta-Analysis
. 2011 Jul 6;2011(7):CD008305.
doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD008305.pub2.

Chinese herbal medicines for hypercholesterolemia

Zhao Lan Liu  1 , Jian Ping Liu, Anthony Lin Zhang, Qiong Wu, Yao Ruan, George Lewith, Denise Visconte
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Chinese herbal medicines for hypercholesterolemia

Zhao Lan Liu et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. .

Abstract

Background: Hypercholesterolemia is an important key contributory factor for ischemic heart disease and is associated with age, high blood pressure, a family history of hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes. Chinese herbal medicines have been used for a long time as lipid-lowering agents.

Objectives: To assess the effects of Chinese herbal medicines on hypercholesterolemia.

Search strategy: We searched the following databases: The Cochrane Library (issue 8, 2010), MEDLINE (until July 2010), EMBASE (until July 2010 ), Chinese BioMedical Database (until July 2010), Traditional Chinese Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System (until July 2010), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (until July 2010), Chinese VIP Information (until July 2010), Chinese Academic Conference Papers Database and Chinese Dissertation Database (until July 2010), and Allied and Complementary Medicine Database (until July 2010).

Selection criteria: We considered randomized controlled clinical trials in hypercholesterolemic participants comparing Chinese herbal medicines with placebo, no treatment, and pharmacological or non-pharmacological interventions.

Data collection and analysis: Two review authors independently extracted data and assessed the risk of bias. We resolved any disagreements with this assessment through discussion and a decision was achieved based by consensus. We assessed trials for the risk of bias against key criteria: random sequence generation, allocation concealment, blinding of participants, incomplete outcome data, selective outcome reporting and other sources of bias.

Main results: We included 22 randomized trials (2130 participants). The mean treatment duration was 2.3 ± 1.3 months (ranging from one to six months). Twenty trials were conducted in China and 18 trials were published in Chinese. Overall, the risk of bias of included trials was high or unclear. Five different herbal medicines were evaluated in the included trials, which compared herbs with conventional medicine in six comparisons (20 trials), or placebo (two trials). There were no outcome data in any of the trials on cardiovascular events and death from any cause. One trial each reported well-being (no significant differences) and economic costs. No serious adverse events were observed. Xuezhikang was the most commonly used herbal formula investigated. A significant effect on total cholesterol (two trial, 254 participants) was shown in favor of Xuezhikang when compared with inositol nicotinate (mean difference (MD) -0.90 mmol/L, 95% confidence interval (CI) -1.13 to -0.68) .

Authors' conclusions: Some herbal medicines may have cholesterol-lowering effects. Our findings have to be interpreted with caution due to high or unclear risk of bias of the included trials.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

None known.

Figures

1
1
PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses) flow‐chart of study selection
2
2
Methodological quality graph: review authors' judgements about each methodological quality item presented as percentages across all included studies.
3
3
Methodological quality summary: review authors' judgements about each methodological quality item for each included study.
4
4
Forest plot of comparison: 2 Chinese herbal medicines versus placebo, outcome: 2.1 Total cholesterol (TC)
5
5
Forest plot of comparison: 1 Chinese herbal medicines versus conventional medicine, outcome: 1.1 Total cholesterol (TC)
1.1
1.1. Analysis
Comparison 1 Chinese herbal medicines versus conventional medicine, Outcome 1 TC.
1.2
1.2. Analysis
Comparison 1 Chinese herbal medicines versus conventional medicine, Outcome 2 TG.
1.3
1.3. Analysis
Comparison 1 Chinese herbal medicines versus conventional medicine, Outcome 3 HDL‐C.
1.4
1.4. Analysis
Comparison 1 Chinese herbal medicines versus conventional medicine, Outcome 4 LDL‐C.
1.5
1.5. Analysis
Comparison 1 Chinese herbal medicines versus conventional medicine, Outcome 5 HR.
1.6
1.6. Analysis
Comparison 1 Chinese herbal medicines versus conventional medicine, Outcome 6 Systolic pressure.
1.7
1.7. Analysis
Comparison 1 Chinese herbal medicines versus conventional medicine, Outcome 7 Diastolic pressure.
1.8
1.8. Analysis
Comparison 1 Chinese herbal medicines versus conventional medicine, Outcome 8 BMI.
1.9
1.9. Analysis
Comparison 1 Chinese herbal medicines versus conventional medicine, Outcome 9 ALT(U/L).
1.10
1.10. Analysis
Comparison 1 Chinese herbal medicines versus conventional medicine, Outcome 10 CPK.
1.11
1.11. Analysis
Comparison 1 Chinese herbal medicines versus conventional medicine, Outcome 11 ApoA1.
1.12
1.12. Analysis
Comparison 1 Chinese herbal medicines versus conventional medicine, Outcome 12 ApoB.
1.13
1.13. Analysis
Comparison 1 Chinese herbal medicines versus conventional medicine, Outcome 13 Lp(a).
1.14
1.14. Analysis
Comparison 1 Chinese herbal medicines versus conventional medicine, Outcome 14 (TC‐HDL‐C)/HDL‐C.
1.15
1.15. Analysis
Comparison 1 Chinese herbal medicines versus conventional medicine, Outcome 15 Body weight.
1.16
1.16. Analysis
Comparison 1 Chinese herbal medicines versus conventional medicine, Outcome 16 Headache symptom scores.
1.17
1.17. Analysis
Comparison 1 Chinese herbal medicines versus conventional medicine, Outcome 17 Chest stuffiness symptom scores.
1.18
1.18. Analysis
Comparison 1 Chinese herbal medicines versus conventional medicine, Outcome 18 Vomiting and salivation symptom scores.
1.19
1.19. Analysis
Comparison 1 Chinese herbal medicines versus conventional medicine, Outcome 19 Numb limb symptom scores.
1.20
1.20. Analysis
Comparison 1 Chinese herbal medicines versus conventional medicine, Outcome 20 FBG.
1.21
1.21. Analysis
Comparison 1 Chinese herbal medicines versus conventional medicine, Outcome 21 PBG.
1.22
1.22. Analysis
Comparison 1 Chinese herbal medicines versus conventional medicine, Outcome 22 HbA1c.
1.23
1.23. Analysis
Comparison 1 Chinese herbal medicines versus conventional medicine, Outcome 23 LDL/HDL.
2.1
2.1. Analysis
Comparison 2 Chinese herbal medicines versus placebo, Outcome 1 TC.
2.2
2.2. Analysis
Comparison 2 Chinese herbal medicines versus placebo, Outcome 2 TG.
2.3
2.3. Analysis
Comparison 2 Chinese herbal medicines versus placebo, Outcome 3 HDL‐C.
2.4
2.4. Analysis
Comparison 2 Chinese herbal medicines versus placebo, Outcome 4 LDL‐C.
2.5
2.5. Analysis
Comparison 2 Chinese herbal medicines versus placebo, Outcome 5 BMI.
2.6
2.6. Analysis
Comparison 2 Chinese herbal medicines versus placebo, Outcome 6 Well‐being scores.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Update of

  • doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD008305

References

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Wu 2006 {published data only}
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Zhao 2004 {published data only}
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Zhao 2006 {published data only}
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Zheng 1999 {published data only}
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References to studies awaiting assessment

Yang 2006 {published data only}
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Ye 2007 {published data only}
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Zhang 2006 {published data only}
    1. Zhang ML. Observation on Xuezhikang treatment of elderly patients' hyperlipidemia. Hebei Medicine 2006;12(4):371‐2.
Zheng 2004 {published data only}
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Zhou 1999 {published data only}
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