Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36118096›Full record

ReviewEvidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM2022

The Role of Acupoint Application of Herbal Medicine for Asthma: Meta-Analysis of Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trials.

Zhenhu Wu, Yanchan Zheng, Yaoxin Chen, Bing He, Lei Wu, Lin Lin, Yinji Xu, Yuanbin Chen

Open access · hybridAbstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 32% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Effect of point application therapy for bronchial asthma: a multicenter randomized controlled trial.Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan · 2026
    Trial
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Zhenhu WuState Key Laboratory of Dampness Syndrome of Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510120, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7163-679X
Yanchan ZhengDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Shantou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shantou 515000, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2955-7625
Yaoxin ChenDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, The Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine and Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510120, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5714-3438
Bing HeClinical Laboratory, South China Normal University Hospital, Guangzhou 510630, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1476-0986
Lei WuState Key Laboratory of Dampness Syndrome of Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510120, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8556-0343
Lin LinState Key Laboratory of Dampness Syndrome of Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510120, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9147-5516
Yinji XuDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, The Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine and Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510120, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9286-8207
Yuanbin ChenState Key Laboratory of Dampness Syndrome of Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510120, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1169-5904
Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine · CNShantou Central Hospital · CNSouth China Normal University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Acupoint application of herbal medicine (AAHM) has been widely used in China. At present, there is no systematic review of AAHM versus placebo in the treatment of asthma. This systematic review aims to assess the efficacy of AAHM for asthma. Methods: Searches were conducted in five English databases and four Chinese databases from their inceptions until December 2020. Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trials were screened, and included studies evaluated routine pharmacotherapy (RP) plus AAHM versus RP plus placebo or AAHM versus placebo. The Cochrane risk of bias tool and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) were performed to evaluate the methodological quality and quality of evidence separately. Results: Sixteen studies involving 1,730 participants were included in this review. Compared with placebo plus RP, participants receiving long-term AAHM plus RP showed improvement in asthma quality of life questionnaire (AQLQ) with moderate-quality evidence (MD 6.53 points, 95% CI 2.70 to 10.36). Low-quality evidence indicated that AAHM plus RP was associated with improved FEV Conclusions: Moderate-quality evidence is promising that AAHM can improve the quality of life and reduce acute exacerbations in patients with asthma. AAHM also shows a positive role in improving lung function, but the evidence is so indefinite due to low quality.

Identifiers

PMID36118096
PMCPMC9477641
OpenAlexW4210299568

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.