ArticlePloS one2021
Pharmacological treatments of Chinese herbal medicine for irritable bowel syndrome in adults: A network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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
6 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.
- Immune-related core gene identification in irritable bowel syndrome and prediction of regulatory traditional Chinese medicines.Medicine · 2026Article
- A longitudinal evaluation of the community-based rehabilitation support programme for Post-COVID-19 condition in Hong Kong.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Based on Proteomics Data Revealing the Potential of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome.Mediators of inflammation · 2025Article
- Modified Gwakjeongtang for Diarrhea-Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Study Protocol for a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Pilot Clinical Trial.International journal of general medicine · 2024Article
- Toll-like receptor 4 plays a vital role in irritable bowel syndrome: a scoping review.Frontiers in immunology · 2024Article
- Utilization patterns and prescription characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine among patients with irritable bowel syndrome in Taiwan.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionPlenty of clinical studies have suggested the value of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) for patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but their efficacy and safety have not been systematically concluded yet. This article aimed to compare and rank the therapeutic effect and safety of CHM with routine pharmacotherapies and placebo in the treatment of IBS.
methodsRandomized controlled trials regarding CHM to treat IBS were searched in six databases from inception to Jan 31, 2020. A network meta-analysis was conducted to analyze the data of included publications. The quality assessment was assessed by Cochrane Handbook and GRADEpro software. The risk ratio was calculated for dichotomous outcomes while the standardized mean difference was used for continuous variables with 95% credible intervals. A Funnel plot was performed to evaluate publication bias. The surface under the cumulative ranking curve was conducted to rank the included interventions. Data were analyzed with STATA 15.0 and Review Manager 5.3.
result3194 records were searched, and 28 eligible trials involving 3323 patients ere identified. Compared with conventional therapies and placebo, Jianpi-Chushi therapy showed significant improvement in adequate relief and IBS symptom severity scale; Shugan-Jianpi therapy showed the best efficacy in relieving the abdominal pain and abdominal distension; Wenshen-Jianpi therapy had a better effect on avoiding adverse effects and improving stool character.
conclusionThis study confirmed that CHM could be beneficial for patients with IBS in relieving their clinical symptoms and should be recommended as alternative therapies. The quality of evidence in this study based on the GRADE system was "low".
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Registered trials
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