ReviewSingapore medical journal2017
Steroids in traditional Chinese medicine: what is the evidence?
Review in Singapore medical journal, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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
17 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 37 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- Rare causes of exogenous Cushing's Syndrome: a challenge for endocrinologists.Journal of endocrinological investigation · 2026Review
- Iatrogenic Cushing's syndrome induced by topical steroid abuse in a patient with psoriasis: a case report.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Article
- Prioritising patient-centred care in the management of chronic urticaria in Asia-Pacific countries.The World Allergy Organization journal · 2024Article
- Validation of Ten Osteoporosis Screening Tools in Rural Communities of Taiwan.Calcified tissue international · 2024Article
- Approach to acute psychosis in older adults.Singapore medical journal · 2023Article
- Review
- Discovering the Potential of Natural Antioxidants in Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Review.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Review
- Mechanisms of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration Treatment with Deer Antlers Based on Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2022Article
- Genetically Encoded Sensor Cells for the Screening of Glucocorticoid Receptor (GR) Effectors in Herbal Extracts.Biosensors · 2021Article
- Fast Screening and Identification of Illegal Adulterated Glucocorticoids in Dietary Supplements and Herbal Products Using UHPLC-QTOF-MS With All-Ion Fragmentation Acquisition Combined With Characteristic Fragment Ion List Classification.Frontiers in chemistry · 2021Article
- Ginseng extracts modulate mitochondrial bioenergetics of live cardiomyoblasts: a functional comparison of different extraction solvents.Journal of ginseng research · 2019Article
- Adrenal insufficiency from steroid-containing complementary therapy: importance of detailed historyEndocrinology, diabetes & metabolism case reports · 2019Article
- Acute adrenal failure: a potentially fatal consequence of an adulterated herbal remedy.BMJ case reports · 2019Article
- Co-Occurrence of Exogenous and Endogenous Cushing's Syndromes-Dilemma in Diagnosis.Case reports in endocrinology · 2019Article
- Dismissing the fallacies of childhood eczema management: case scenarios and an overview of best practices.Drugs in context · 2018Review
- The Glucocorticoid Taper: A Primer for the Clinicians.Indian journal of endocrinology and metabolismReview
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Local healthcare providers often question the possible steroidal activity of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herbs or herbal products and implicate them as a cause for adrenal insufficiency or Cushing's syndrome in patients with a history of TCM intake. We conducted a comprehensive database search for evidence of potential glucocorticoid, mineralocorticoid, androgenic or oestrogenic activity of herbs or herbal products. Overall, there are not many herbs whose steroidal activity is well established; among these, most cases were based on preclinical studies. Liquorice root may cause pseudoaldosteronism through interference with the steroidogenesis pathway. Although ginseng and cordyceps have some in vitro glucocorticoid activities, the corroborating clinical data is lacking. Deer musk and deer antler contain androgenic steroids, while epimedium has oestrogenic activity. On the other hand, adulteration of herbal products with exogenous glucocorticoids is a recurrent problem encountered locally in illegal products masquerading as TCM. Healthcare providers should stay vigilant and report any suspicion to the relevant authorities for further investigations.
Indexed as
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.