Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37208742›Full record

ReviewChinese medicine2023

Systematic analysis of randomised controlled trials of Chinese herb medicine for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH): implications for future drug development and trial design.

Xianwen Chen, Junnan Shi, Yunfeng Lai, Yan Xue, Carolina Oi Lam Ung, Hao Hu

Open access · goldAbstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Chinese medicine, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
2.6field-weighted citation impact, top 10% 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, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Daixie recipe ameliorates diet-induced MASH in miceFrontiers in endocrinology · 2026
    Article
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  3. Article
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  5. Review
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

6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Xianwen Chen *State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China.
Junnan Shi *State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China.
Yunfeng LaiSchool of Public Health and Management, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
Yan XueState Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China.
Carolina Oi Lam UngState Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China. carolinaung@um.edu.mo.
Hao HuState Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China. haohu@um.edu.mo.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9441-106X
University of Macau · MOGuangzhou University of Chinese Medicine · CN

Funding

State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau QRCMIRG2022-009
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNon-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a liver disease currently lacking an approved therapy, resulting in significant clinical demand. Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) have been commonly used to manage NASH. This study aimed to systematically analyse the randomised controlled trials (RCTs) using TCMs for NASH management.

methodsA systematic literature review was performed by following PRISMA guidelines 2020 in six electronic databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure, from inception until August 2022. RCTs using TCMs for NASH were included in the analysis, irrespective of language or blinding.

results112 RCTs were included in this review, with 10,573 NASH participants. 108 RCTs were conducted in China, and 4 RCTs were in other countries. Herbal medicine decoction was the major dosage form used for treating NASH (82/112). 11 TCMs products have been approved for NASH treatment (8 in China, 2 in Iran, and 1 in Japan). Classic prescriptions, such as "Huang Lian Jie Du decoction", "Yin Chen Hao decoction", and "Yi Guan Jian" were used in some studies. The TCMs treatment of NASH involved the use of 199 different plants, with the top 5 herbs being Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix Et Rhizoma, Alismatis Rhizoma, Bupleuri Radix, Poria, and Curcumae Radix. "Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix Et Rhizoma + Bupleuri Radix/Alismatis Rhizoma" were the mostly common drug-pair in the herbs network analysis. Nowadays, "Bupleuri Radix/Alismatis Rhizoma + Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma" are increasingly applied in herbal formulas for NASH. Based on the PICOS principles, the included studies varied in terms of the population, intervention, comparator, outcomes, and study design. However, some studies reported unstandardised results and failed to report diagnostic standards, inclusion or exclusion criteria, or sufficient patient information.

conclusionAdopting Chinese classic prescriptions or drug-pair may provide a basis for developing new drugs of NASH management. Further research is needed to refine the clinical trial design and obtain more convincing evidence for using TCMs to treat NASH.

Indexed as

Clinical trial designNon-alcoholic steatohepatitisRandomised controlled trialTraditional Chinese medicine

Identifiers

PMID37208742
PMCPMC10199512
OpenAlexW4377115500

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.