Long-term use of Chinese herbal medicine therapy reduced the risk of asthma hospitalization in school-age children: A nationwide population-based cohort study in Taiwan

doi:10.1016/j.jtcme.2019.04.005

. 2019 Apr 23;10(2):141-149.

doi: 10.1016/j.jtcme.2019.04.005. eCollection 2020 Mar.

Long-term use of Chinese herbal medicine therapy reduced the risk of asthma hospitalization in school-age children: A nationwide population-based cohort study in Taiwan

Pei-Chia Lo^{1

2}, Shun-Ku Lin^{2

3

4}, Jung-Nien Lai^{2

5

6}

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Traditional Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, No.155, Sec.2, Linong St, Beitou Dist, Taipei City, Taiwan.
² Taiwan Association for Traditional Chinese Medicine of Family, 9F, No.105, Yusheng St, Shilin Dist, Taipei City, Taiwan.
³ Institute of Public Health, National Yang-Ming University, No.155, Sec.2, Linong St, Beitou Dist, Taipei City, Taiwan.
⁴ Department of Chinese Medicine, Taipei City Hospital, Renai Branch, No.10, Sec.4, Renai Rd, Daan Dist, Taipei City, Taiwan.
⁵ School of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, No.91 Hsueh-Shih Road, North Dist, Taichung, Taiwan.
⁶ Department of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, No.2, Yude Rd, Taichung City, Taiwan.

PMID: 32257877
PMCID: PMC7109476
DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcme.2019.04.005

Long-term use of Chinese herbal medicine therapy reduced the risk of asthma hospitalization in school-age children: A nationwide population-based cohort study in Taiwan

Pei-Chia Lo et al. J Tradit Complement Med. 2019.

. 2019 Apr 23;10(2):141-149.

doi: 10.1016/j.jtcme.2019.04.005. eCollection 2020 Mar.

Authors

Pei-Chia Lo^{1

2}, Shun-Ku Lin^{2

3

4}, Jung-Nien Lai^{2

5

6}

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Traditional Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, No.155, Sec.2, Linong St, Beitou Dist, Taipei City, Taiwan.
² Taiwan Association for Traditional Chinese Medicine of Family, 9F, No.105, Yusheng St, Shilin Dist, Taipei City, Taiwan.
³ Institute of Public Health, National Yang-Ming University, No.155, Sec.2, Linong St, Beitou Dist, Taipei City, Taiwan.
⁴ Department of Chinese Medicine, Taipei City Hospital, Renai Branch, No.10, Sec.4, Renai Rd, Daan Dist, Taipei City, Taiwan.
⁵ School of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, No.91 Hsueh-Shih Road, North Dist, Taichung, Taiwan.
⁶ Department of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, No.2, Yude Rd, Taichung City, Taiwan.

PMID: 32257877
PMCID: PMC7109476
DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcme.2019.04.005

Abstract

Background: Clinical trials have indicated some traditional Chinese medicine formulas reduce airway hyperresponsiveness and relieve asthma symptoms. This study investigated Chinese herbal Medicine (CHM) for childhood asthma and clarified the relationship between CHM use and consequent asthma hospitalization by a population-based cohort study.

Methods: We used the data of one million individuals randomly selected from Registry of Beneficiaries of the National Health Insurance Research Database. Patients aged less than 18 years and diagnosed as asthma were followed from 2000 to 2012 and divided into the CHM group and the non-CHM group. Cox proportional hazard regression model was conducted to estimate the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of the two groups, and the Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to determine the association between CHM cumulative days and consequent asthma hospitalization.

Results: Of the total of 33,865 patients, 14,783 (43.6%) were included in the CHM group, and 19,082 (56.4%) were included in the non-CHM group. After adjustment for gender, age, comorbidities, and total numbers of asthma medication, CHM users had a lower risk of asthma hospitalization than non-CHM users (aHR: 0.90, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.83-0.95). Children older than 6 years who used CHM therapy for more than 180 days exhibited a reduction of 29% for the risk of consequent asthma hospitalization (aHR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.51-0.98).

Conclusion: Children aged 6-18 years who used more than 6 months CHM therapy reduced the risk of consequent asthma hospitalization. Long-term CHM therapy has benefit in school-age children with asthma.

Keywords: Asthma; Childhood asthma; Chinese herbal medicine; National health insurance research database (NHIRD); Traditional Chinese medicine.

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Figures

**Fig. 1**
Flow chart of recruitment of subjects from the one million individuals randomly sampled from the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) from 2000 to 2012 in Taiwan.

**Fig. 2**
Survival curve of asthma hospitalization in asthmatic children. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and log-rank analyses revealed the rates of asthma hospitalization between different CHM cumulative days (log-rank test, p < 0.001).

See this image and copyright information in PMC

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References

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[1] Hwang C.Y., Chen Y.J., Lin M.W. Prevalence of atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis and asthma in Taiwan: a national study 2000 to 2007. Acta Derm Venereol. 2010;90(6):589–594. - PubMed

[2] Hwang C.Y., Chen Y.J., Lin M.W. Prevalence of atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis and asthma in Taiwan: a national study 2000 to 2007. Acta Derm Venereol. 2010;90(6):589–594. - PubMed

[3] Ma Y.C., Lin C.C., Li C.I., Chiang J.H., Li T.C., Lin J.G. Time-trend analysis of prevalence, incidence and traditional Chinese medicine use among children with asthma: a population-based study. J Public Health. 2015;38(3):e263–e271. - PubMed

[4] Ma Y.C., Lin C.C., Li C.I., Chiang J.H., Li T.C., Lin J.G. Time-trend analysis of prevalence, incidence and traditional Chinese medicine use among children with asthma: a population-based study. J Public Health. 2015;38(3):e263–e271. - PubMed

[5] Wang J.Y., Liu L.F. Health care utilization and medical costs for childhood asthma in taiwan: using taiwan national health insurance research database. Asia Pac Allergy. 2012;2(3):167–171. - PMC - PubMed

[6] Wang J.Y., Liu L.F. Health care utilization and medical costs for childhood asthma in taiwan: using taiwan national health insurance research database. Asia Pac Allergy. 2012;2(3):167–171. - PMC - PubMed

[7] Jackson D.J., Sykes A., Mallia P., Johnston S.L. Asthma exacerbations: origin, effect, and prevention. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2011;128(6):1165–1174. - PMC - PubMed

[8] Jackson D.J., Sykes A., Mallia P., Johnston S.L. Asthma exacerbations: origin, effect, and prevention. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2011;128(6):1165–1174. - PMC - PubMed

[9] Lo P.C., Tsai Y.T., Lin S.K., Lai J.N. Risk of asthma exacerbation associated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in childhood asthma: a nationwide population-based cohort study in Taiwan. Medicine (Baltim) 2016;95(41):e5109. - PMC - PubMed

[10] Lo P.C., Tsai Y.T., Lin S.K., Lai J.N. Risk of asthma exacerbation associated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in childhood asthma: a nationwide population-based cohort study in Taiwan. Medicine (Baltim) 2016;95(41):e5109. - PMC - PubMed

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Long-term use of Chinese herbal medicine therapy reduced the risk of asthma hospitalization in school-age children: A nationwide population-based cohort study in Taiwan

Affiliations

Long-term use of Chinese herbal medicine therapy reduced the risk of asthma hospitalization in school-age children: A nationwide population-based cohort study in Taiwan

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