ArticleEvidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM2012
Efficacy and side effects of chinese herbal medicine for menopausal symptoms: a critical review.
Article in Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 38 citations in OpenAlex.
- Chinese herbal formulae for the treatment of menopausal hot flushes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.PloS one · 2019Pooled it
- Chinese herbal medicine for menopausal symptoms.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2016Pooled it
- The neurobiology of plant-based therapeutics in women's reproductive health: mechanisms, efficacy, and clinical translation.Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Review
- The effect of conjugated estrogens vaginal cream and a combined vaginal cream of vitamins D and E in the treatment of genitourinary syndrome.Journal of family medicine and primary care · 2023Article
- The utilization of complementary and alternative medicine in Taiwan: An internet survey using an adapted version of the international questionnaire (I-CAM-Q).Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA · 2019Article
- Article
- Quercetin from Polygonum capitatum Protects against Gastric Inflammation and Apoptosis Associated with Helicobacter pylori Infection by Affecting the Levels of p38MAPK, BCL-2 and BAX.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2017Article
- In vitro and in vivo bactericidal activity of Tinospora sagittata (Oliv.) Gagnep. var. craveniana (S.Y.Hu) Lo and its main effective component, palmatine, against porcine Helicobacter pylori.BMC complementary and alternative medicine · 2016Article
- A system biology approach to understanding the molecular mechanisms of Gubentongluo decoction acting on IgA Nephropathy.BMC complementary and alternative medicine · 2016Article
- Flavonoid Glycosides of Polygonum capitatum Protect against Inflammation Associated with Helicobacter pylori Infection.PloS one · 2015Article
- A survey of the therapeutic effects of Vitamin E suppositories on vaginal atrophy in postmenopausal women.Iranian journal of nursing and midwifery researchArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
This study evaluates 23 (9 Chinese and 14 non-Chinese) randomized controlled trials for efficacy and side effects of Chinese herbal medicine on menopausal symptoms. Menopause was diagnosed according to western medicine criteria in all studies while seven Chinese studies and one non-Chinese study further stratified the participants using traditional Chinese medical diagnosis "Zheng differentiation." Efficacy was reported by all 9 Chinese and 9/14 non-Chinese papers. Side effects and adverse events were generally mild and infrequent. Only ten severe adverse events were reported, two with possible association with the therapy. CHM did not increase the endometrial thickness, a common side effect of hormone therapy. None of the studies investigated long-term side effects. Critical analysis revealed that (1) high-quality studies on efficacy of Chinese herbal medicine for menopausal syndrome are rare and have the drawback of lacking traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis (Zheng-differentiation). (2) Chinese herbal medicine may be effective for at least some menopausal symptoms while side effects are likely less than hormone therapy. (3) All these findings need to be confirmed in further well-designed comprehensive studies meeting the standard of evidence-based medicine and including Zheng-differentiation of traditional Chinese medicine.
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.