Eczema

Presentation Slides

Chinese Medicine Research Hub

Higher consumption of ultra-processed food by pregnant women was linked to an increased risk of infantile atopic dermatitis within the first year of life.

2024 Nutrition Journal Association of maternal ultra-processed food consumption during pregnancy with atopic dermatitis in infancy: Korean Mothers and Children’s Environmental Health (MOCEH) study
Jang W, Kim M, Ha E, Kim H

Chinese Medicine Research Hub

Systematic Review

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.

2022 Frontiers in Pharmacology 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

Chinese Medicine Research Hub

Experimental Study

Oral administration of Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides may constitute a new, effective therapy for Atopic dermatitis, improving both immune response and intestinal microbiota.

2022 Frontiers in Pharmacology Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides alleviate induced atopic dermatitis in mice by regulating immune response and gut microbiota
Xie L, Yang K, Liang Y, Zhu Z, Yuan Z, Du Z

Chinese Medicine Research Hub

Review Article

Honey, traditionally a food item, exhibits therapeutic properties—anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and wound healing—showing promise in managing and preventing allergic diseases, as supported by scientific evidence and clinical studies.

2021 Frontiers in Pharmacology The Potential use of Honey as a Remedy for Allergic Diseases: A Mini Review
Aw Yong PY, Islam F, Harith HH, Israf DA, Tan JW, Tham CL

Chinese Medicine Research Hub

Systematic Review

Acupuncture might be effective at reducing itch intensity and may be more effective than conventional medicine at reducing eczema area and severity index (EASI) and improving the global symptoms of atopic eczema.

2019 Acupuncture in Medicine The effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for patients with atopic eczema: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Jiao R, Yang Z, Wang Y, Zhou J, Zeng Y, Liu Z

Chinese Medicine Research Hub

Randomised Controlled Trial

Acupuncture may improve symptoms in patients with mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis.

2018 Complementary Therapies in Medicine Acupuncture improves symptoms in patients with mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis: A randomized, sham-controlled preliminary trial
Smith CA, Armour M, Lee MS, Wang LQ, Hay PJ

Chinese Medicine Research Hub

Systematic Review

There is at least some level I evidence to support the use of acupuncture and acupressure as adjuncts to conventional treatment of atopic dermatitis.

2016 American Journal of Clinical Dermatology Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Atopic Dermatitis: An Evidence-Based Review
Vieira BL, Lim NR, Lohman ME, Lio PA.

Chinese Medicine Research Hub

Systematic Review

Acupuncture improves outcome measures in the treatment of dermatitis, chloasma, pruritus, urticaria, hyperhidrosis, and facial elasticity.

2015 Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies Acupuncture as a treatment modality in dermatology: a systematic review
Ma, C., & Sivamani, R. K.

Executive Summary

Write an executive summary in the form of a blog article on the topic of "Research into Chinese medicine treatment for Eczema" summarising the research below and using language that can be easily understood by patients and avoiding medical jargon using a professional and caring tone of voice.

Write an executive summary in the form of a blog article on the topic of "Researched Chinese medicine treatments for Eczema" summarising the research below in an objective and easy to understand way, and using language that can be easily understood by patients. Group the article into Chinese medicine treatments first, followed by nutrition and other treatments. Avoid using medical jargon and use a professional and caring tone of voice.

Write me a concise but easy to understand executive summary on the topic of "Chinese medicine treatments for Eczema" based on the following research that I will give you. Your summary should be 2 paragraphs long in Australian English spelling and include references to the studies.

A published in 2024 in the journal Nutrition Journal found that Higher consumption of ultra-processed food by pregnant women was linked to an increased risk of infantile atopic dermatitis within the first year of life. The research used 861 pairs of pregnant women and their offspring from the Mothers' and Children's Environmental Health project in Korea. These women’s dietary intake was measured using the 24-hour recall method during 12-28 weeks gestation. Foods were classified as ultra-processed following the NOVA classification and their consumption was calculated as the proportion of total energy intake, with participants categorized into quartiles. The prevalence of infantile atopic dermatitis was assessed based on their medical histories and according to the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood criteria. The results revealed that children born to mothers in the highest quartile of ultra-processed food consumption, compared to the lowest quartile, showed a higher risk towards atopic dermatitis within 12 months. This relationship became stronger after adjusting for certain confounding variables. Additionally, the link stayed consistent even after adjusting based on the Korean Healthy Eating Index, which measures diet quality.

A Systematic Review published in 2022 in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology found that 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.

A Experimental Study published in 2022 in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology found that Oral administration of Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides may constitute a new, effective therapy for Atopic dermatitis, improving both immune response and intestinal microbiota. In the methodology of this study, the therapeutic effects of Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides (these have multiple biological activities), on Atopic dermatitis, were examined through both topical application and oral administration on mice induced with Atopic dermatitis-like disorder. The changes across transdermal water loss, epidermal thickening, and ear edema in the affected mice were observed. Notably, the study also considered the polysaccharides' impacts on the proportion of specific regulatory T cells in the mesenteric lymph nodes of the mice. The results showed that both therapeutic methods positively impacted the conditions of the affected mice, with oral administration offering superior efficacy over topical application. The oral administration of the polysaccharides led to an increase of specific regulatory T cells, evidence of immune regulation. Further, non-targeted metabolomics and sequencing of certain DNA amplicons pointed towards observable modulation in fecal metabolites and a changed composition of gut microbiota in the mice following the oral treatment.

A Review Article published in 2021 in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology found that Honey, traditionally a food item, exhibits therapeutic properties—anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and wound healing—showing promise in managing and preventing allergic diseases, as supported by scientific evidence and clinical studies. This mini review explores honey's transition from a conventional food to a potential treatment for allergic diseases. Emphasis is placed on its diverse therapeutic properties, particularly its ability to alleviate pathological conditions and regulate inflammatory cell recruitment in cellular and animal models. Scientific evidence and clinical studies suggest that honey holds potential in relieving allergic symptoms, offering a promising treatment or preventive approach for allergic diseases such as anaphylaxis, asthma, and atopic dermatitis. The review provides valuable insights for considering honey in clinical settings for allergic disease management.

A Systematic Review published in 2019 in the journal Acupuncture in Medicine found that Acupuncture might be effective at reducing itch intensity and may be more effective than conventional medicine at reducing eczema area and severity index (EASI) and improving the global symptoms of atopic eczema. Acupuncture might be an effective treatment capable of reducing itch intensity, and may be more effective than conventional medicine at reducing EASI and improving global symptoms for patients with AE. Acupuncture is a safe treatment for patients with AE, but the available data are too few to suggest that acupuncture alone is effective at improving quality of life and recurrence rate. More high-quality trials with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm the effects of acupuncture on AE.

A Randomised Controlled Trial published in 2018 in the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine found that Acupuncture may improve symptoms in patients with mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis. The SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD), VAS (Pruritus), VAS (Insomnia), Patient Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), and Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) were significantly improved in the real acupuncture groups.

A Systematic Review published in 2016 in the journal American Journal of Clinical Dermatology found that There is at least some level I evidence to support the use of acupuncture and acupressure as adjuncts to conventional treatment of atopic dermatitis. There is at least some level I evidence to support the use of acupuncture and acupressure, stress-reducing techniques such as hypnosis, massage, and biofeedback, balneotherapy, herbal preparations (with many important caveats), certain botanical oils, oral evening primrose oil, vitamin D supplementation, and topical vitamin B12. Many other therapies either have sufficient data to suggest that they are ineffective, or simply do not have enough evidence to formulate a verdict.

A Systematic Review published in 2015 in the journal Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies found that Acupuncture improves outcome measures in the treatment of dermatitis, chloasma, pruritus, urticaria, hyperhidrosis, and facial elasticity. Twenty-four studies met inclusion criteria. Among these, 16 were randomized controlled trials, 6 were prospective observational studies, and 2 were case reports. Acupuncture was used to treat atopic dermatitis, urticaria, pruritus, acne, chloasma, neurodermatitis, dermatitis herpetiformis, hyperhidrosis, human papillomavirus wart, breast inflammation, and facial elasticity. In 17 of 24 studies, acupuncture showed statistically significant improvements in outcome measurements compared with placebo acupuncture, alternative treatment options, and no intervention.

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