The traditional Chinese medicine phlegm-resolving method combined with either CPAP or health guidance improves obstructive sleep apnea symptoms more effectively than the applied methods alone.

2022 Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine The Clinical Effects of the Phlegm-Resolving Method in the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials Zhou S, Xu H, Liu J, Fan X

Systematic Review Obstructive Sleep Apnoea

The research was conducted by methodically searching databases such as PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Wanfang, CNKI, and VIP using specific search strategies. Data analysis was done using specialized software. For this investigation, thirteen randomized controlled trials were selected which involved a total of 882 patients diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome. These trials compared the efficacy of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) phlegm-resolving method when combined with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or with health guidance.

In terms of results, it was determined that both combinations of TCM phlegm-resolving method with either CPAP or health guidance significantly improved the apnea/hypopnea index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and lowest oxygen saturation. The effects were observed to be generally better with treatment duration greater than six weeks. During the treatment, except for one mild report of nausea, there were no significant side effects mentioned.

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