Efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal medicine for atopic dermatitis: Evidence from eight high-quality randomized placebo-controlled trials
Cai X, Sun X, Liu L, Zhou Y, Hong S, Wang J, Chen J, Zhang M, Wang C, Lin N, Li S, Xu R, Li X · Frontiers in Pharmacology · 2022 September 27
DOI 10.3389/fphar.2022.927304
Objective
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD) in eight high-level clinical trials, resulting in a high level of clinical evidence.
Conclusions
Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) improved the size and severity of the skin lesions and sleep quality in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). Comparing the adverse effects between the two groups, CHM is safe. However, CHM does not improve the quality of life or the patient’s IgE levels.
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Insights
Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) improved AD symptoms but had no significant impact on patients' quality of life or IgE levels suggesting CHM's potential as an AD treatment with further research.
CHM showed benefits in improving AD symptoms, such as itching and skin appearance, compared to placebos. However, it didn't significantly affect patients' quality of life or IgE levels. CHM was safe, with only minor side effects. These findings suggest CHM could be a useful treatment for AD, but more standard guidelines are needed due to variations in herbal ingredients and dosages in different studies.
