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Review
. 2014:2014:363985.
doi: 10.1155/2014/363985. Epub 2014 Feb 3.

Huperzine a in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia: a meta-analysis

Shu-Huai Xing  1 , Chun-Xiao Zhu  2 , Rui Zhang  1 , Li An  1
Affiliations
Review

Huperzine a in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia: a meta-analysis

Shu-Huai Xing et al. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014.

Abstract

The objective of our study was to perform an updated meta-analysis of placebo-controlled RCTs of Huperzine A (Hup A) on patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VD), in order to provide the basis and reference for clinical rational drug use. The primary outcome measures assessed were minimental state examination (MMSE) and activities of daily living scale (ADL). Eight AD trials with 733 participants and two VD trials with 92 participants that met our inclusion criteria were identified. The results showed that Hup A could significantly improve the MMSE and ADL score of AD and VD patients, and longer durations would result in better efficacy for the patients with AD. It seemed that there was significant improvement of cognitive function measured by memory quotient (MQ) in patients with AD. Most adverse effects in AD were generally of mild to moderate severity and transient. Compared to the patients with AD, Hup A may offer fewer side effects for participants with VD in this study. Therefore, Hup A is a well-tolerated drug that could significantly improve cognitive performance in patients with AD or VD, but we need to use it with caution in the clinical treatment.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow diagram of the study selecting process for AD (a) and VD (b).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Forest plot with the weighted mean difference (WMD) on minimental state examination (MMSE) of Hup A relative to placebo in AD with 95% CI of the trials included in meta-analysis.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Forest plot with the weighted mean difference (WMD) on daily living scale (ADL) of Hup A relative to placebo in AD with 95% CI of the trials included in meta-analysis.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Funnel plot of comparison for AD: Hup A versus placebo; outcome: MMSE (a) and ADL (b).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Number of cases with side effects in Hup A group versus placebo group for AD.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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