ReviewPharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)2021
Effects of Ephedrine-Containing Products on Weight Loss and Lipid Profiles: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Review in Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland), 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 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
10 citing papers in PubMed, 19 citations in OpenAlex.
- Ephedrae Herba-Associated Adverse Events: A Disproportionality Analysis Integrated with Network Pharmacology.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Review
- Production of Chitosan-PVA Coated Vitamin E and Ephedrine Nanoparticles Using Electrospraying for the Treatment of Narcolepsy.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Article
- Herbal Medicine and Lifestyle Modifications for People with Obesity: A Single-Center, Retrospective, Observational Study.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Effect and mechanisms of Gambi-jung against high-fat diet-induced cardiac apoptosis in mice.Heliyon · 2024Article
- Unveiling the nanoworld of antimicrobial resistance: integrating nature and nanotechnology.Frontiers in microbiology · 2024Review
- Integrative traditional Chinese medicine treatment for children with obstructive sleep apnea.Journal of traditional and complementary medicine · 2024Article
- Weight Loss Supplements.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- Dietary supplements for lipedema.Journal of preventive medicine and hygiene · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Ephedrine, the main active ingredient of mahuang, may lead to weight loss; however, it can also induce cardiovascular side effects. As ephedrine use remains controversial, this study aimed to systematically review previous studies on ephedrine-containing products and perform meta-analysis of the existing evidence on weight, blood pressure (BP), heart rate, and lipid change effects of ephedrine-containing products. We searched for placebo-controlled randomized studies in PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE until July 2021 using the following search terms: (ephedr* OR mahuang) AND ("weight loss" OR obes* OR overweight). Mean differences (MDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to evaluate the effects of ephedrine-containing products on weight, BP, heart rate, and lipid profiles. A total of 10 articles were included. Compared with the placebo group, the ephedrine-containing product group was associated with greater weight loss, with an MD of -1.97 kg (95% CI: -2.38, -1.57). In the ephedrine-containing product group, the mean heart rate was 5.76 beats/min higher than in the placebo group (95% CI: 3.42, 8.10), whereas intergroup differences in systolic and diastolic BP were not statistically significant. The ephedrine-containing product group had a significantly higher mean high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level (MD: 2.74 mg/dL; 95% CI: 0.94, 4.55), lower mean low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level (MD: -5.98 mg/dL; 95% CI: -10.97, -0.99), and lower mean triglyceride level (MD: -11.25 mg/dL; 95% CI: -21.83, -0.68) than the placebo group. Compared with placebo, the ephedrine-containing products showed better effects on weight loss and lipid profiles, whereas they caused increased heart rate. The ephedrine-containing products may be beneficial to obese or overweight patients; however, close monitoring is needed, especially heart rate monitoring.
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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.