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Meta-Analysis
. 2013 Apr 30;2013(4):CD004416.
doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD004416.pub2.

Oral evening primrose oil and borage oil for eczema

Joel T M Bamford  1 , Sujoy Ray, Alfred Musekiwa, Christel van Gool, Rosemary Humphreys, Edzard Ernst
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Oral evening primrose oil and borage oil for eczema

Joel T M Bamford et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. .

Abstract

Background: Eczema is a chronic inflammatory skin condition, which usually develops in early childhood. Many children outgrow this disorder as they reach secondary school age, and although It may improve with age, there is no cure. Constant itch makes life uncomfortable for those with this condition, no matter what age they are, so it may have a significant effect on a person's quality of life. Its prevalence seems to be increasing as populations move from rural locations to cities. Some people, who do not see an adequate improvement or fear side-effects of conventional medical products, try complementary alternatives to conventional treatment. This is a review of evening primrose oil (EPO) and borage oil (BO) taken orally (by mouth); these have been thought to be beneficial because of their gamma-linolenic acid content.

Objectives: To assess the effects of oral evening primrose oil or borage oil for treating the symptoms of atopic eczema.

Search methods: We searched the following databases up to August 2012: Cochrane Skin Group Specialised Register, CENTRAL in The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE (from 1946), EMBASE (from 1974), AMED (from 1985), and LILACS (from 1982). We also searched online trials registers and checked the bibliographies of included studies for further references to relevant trials. We corresponded with trial investigators and pharmaceutical companies to try to identify unpublished and ongoing trials. We performed a separate search for adverse effects of evening primrose oil and borage oil in November 2011.

Selection criteria: All randomised controlled, parallel, or cross-over trials investigating oral intake of evening primrose oil or borage oil for eczema.

Data collection and analysis: Two review authors independently applied eligibility criteria, assessed risk of bias, and extracted data. We pooled dichotomous outcomes using risk ratios (RR), and continuous outcomes using the mean difference (MD). Where possible, we pooled study results using random-effects meta-analysis and tested statistical heterogeneity using both the Chi(²) test and the I(²) statistic test. We presented results using forest plots with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Main results: A total of 27 studies (1596 participants) met the inclusion criteria: 19 studies assessed evening primrose oil, and 8 studies assessed borage oil. For EPO, a meta-analysis of results from 7 studies showed that EPO failed to significantly increase improvement in global eczema symptoms as reported by participants on a visual analogue scale of 0 to 100 (MD -2.22, 95% CI -10.48 to 6.04, 176 participants, 7 trials) and a visual analogue scale of 0 to 100 for medical doctors (MD -3.26, 95% CI -6.96 to 0.45, 289 participants, 8 trials) compared to the placebo group.Treatment with BO also failed to significantly improve global eczema symptoms compared to placebo treatment as reported by both participants and medical doctors, although we could not conduct a meta-analysis as studies reported results in different ways. With regard to the risk of bias, the majority of studies were of low risk of bias; we judged 67% of the included studies as having low risk of bias for random sequence generation; 44%, for allocation concealment; 59%, for blinding; and 37%, for other biases.

Implications for practice: Oral borage oil and evening primrose oil lack effect on eczema; improvement was similar to respective placebos used in trials. Oral BO and EPO are not effective treatments for eczema.In these studies, along with the placebos, EPO and BO have the same, fairly common, mild, transient adverse effects, which are mainly gastrointestinal.The short-term studies included here do not examine possible adverse effects of long-term use of EPO or BO. A case report warned that if EPO is taken for a prolonged period of time (more than one year), there is a potential risk of inflammation, thrombosis, and immunosuppression; another study found that EPO may increase bleeding for people on Coumadin® (warfarin) medication.

Implications for research: Noting that the confidence intervals between active and placebo treatment are narrow, to exclude the possibility of any clinically useful difference, we concluded that further studies on EPO or BO for eczema would be hard to justify.This review does not provide information about long-term use of these products.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Joel Bamford's research was funded with a grant from the Miller‐Dwan Foundation and repaid by the Efamol Pharmaceutical company, which supplied medication, placebo, and blood testing. Joel Bamford was neither involved in the selection nor data extraction of the Bamford 1985 included study for which he is a first author. Instead, the third review author (AM) took up these roles in the case of this included study.

Figures

1
1
'Risk of bias' graph: review authors' judgements about each 'Risk of bias' item presented as percentages across all included studies
2
2
'Risk of bias' summary: review authors' judgements about each 'Risk of bias' item for each included study
3
3
Study flow diagram
4
4
Forest plot of comparison: 1 EPO versus placebo, outcome: 1.1 Participant‐reported global improvement in symptoms (0 to 100 VAS reduction).
5
5
Forest plot of comparison: 1 EPO versus placebo, outcome: 1.4 Physician‐reported global improvement in symptoms (0 to 100 VAS reduction).
1.1
1.1. Analysis
Comparison 1: EPO versus placebo, Outcome 1: Participant‐reported global improvement in symptoms (0 to 100 VAS reduction)
1.2
1.2. Analysis
Comparison 1: EPO versus placebo, Outcome 2: Parent assessment at end of treatment (VAS)
1.3
1.3. Analysis
Comparison 1: EPO versus placebo, Outcome 3: Parents global improvent in eczema symptoms at 8 weeks
1.4
1.4. Analysis
Comparison 1: EPO versus placebo, Outcome 4: Physician‐reported global improvement in symptoms (0 to 100 VAS reduction)
1.5
1.5. Analysis
Comparison 1: EPO versus placebo, Outcome 5: Physician assessment at the end of treatment (VAS ‐ MD)
1.6
1.6. Analysis
Comparison 1: EPO versus placebo, Outcome 6: Physician‐reported improvement in symptoms (VAS 0 to 50)
1.7
1.7. Analysis
Comparison 1: EPO versus placebo, Outcome 7: Physician‐reported assessment at end of treatment (0 to 3 scale): high‐dose
1.8
1.8. Analysis
Comparison 1: EPO versus placebo, Outcome 8: Physician‐reported assessment at end of treatment (0 to 3 scale): low‐dose
1.9
1.9. Analysis
Comparison 1: EPO versus placebo, Outcome 9: Physician‐reported assessment at end of treatment (total disease scores)
1.10
1.10. Analysis
Comparison 1: EPO versus placebo, Outcome 10: Physician‐reported improvement in Leicester scores
1.11
1.11. Analysis
Comparison 1: EPO versus placebo, Outcome 11: Physician‐reported assessment at end of treatment (VAS 0 to 100)
1.12
1.12. Analysis
Comparison 1: EPO versus placebo, Outcome 12: Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) at the end of treatment
1.13
1.13. Analysis
Comparison 1: EPO versus placebo, Outcome 13: Adverse events
1.14
1.14. Analysis
Comparison 1: EPO versus placebo, Outcome 14: Adverse event (minor signs or symptoms)
1.15
1.15. Analysis
Comparison 1: EPO versus placebo, Outcome 15: Concurrent treatment (emollient cream) (kg)
1.16
1.16. Analysis
Comparison 1: EPO versus placebo, Outcome 16: Concurrent treatment (topical steroid) (kg)
2.1
2.1. Analysis
Comparison 2: Borage oil versus placebo, Outcome 1: Participant‐reported improvement in symptoms
2.2
2.2. Analysis
Comparison 2: Borage oil versus placebo, Outcome 2: Participant‐reported complaints at end of treatment
2.3
2.3. Analysis
Comparison 2: Borage oil versus placebo, Outcome 3: Physician‐reported Costa scores at end of treatment
2.4
2.4. Analysis
Comparison 2: Borage oil versus placebo, Outcome 4: Physician‐reported number showing improvement (ADASI score)
2.5
2.5. Analysis
Comparison 2: Borage oil versus placebo, Outcome 5: Physician‐reported severity of eczema at end of treatment (SCORAD Index)
2.6
2.6. Analysis
Comparison 2: Borage oil versus placebo, Outcome 6: Physician‐reported SASSAD score at end of treatment
2.7
2.7. Analysis
Comparison 2: Borage oil versus placebo, Outcome 7: Physician‐reported clinical score improvement from baseline
2.8
2.8. Analysis
Comparison 2: Borage oil versus placebo, Outcome 8: Adverse events
2.9
2.9. Analysis
Comparison 2: Borage oil versus placebo, Outcome 9: Adverse event (flu‐like symptoms)
2.10
2.10. Analysis
Comparison 2: Borage oil versus placebo, Outcome 10: Adverse event (upper respiratory tract infection)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Update of

  • doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD004416

References

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