SynthesisJMIR public health and surveillance2024
Estimating Adverse Events Associated With Herbal Medicines Using Pharmacovigilance Databases: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Synthesis in JMIR public health and surveillance, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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
13 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- From 'traditional' remedies to 'modern' supplements: a systematic review and meta-analysis of pharmaceutical adulteration in weight-loss natural products.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2025Pooled it
- Safety of herbal medicine in the postpartum period: A hospital-based single-arm, prospective observational study (SAFEHERE-PC).Integrative medicine research · 2026Article
- Back to the Roots: Safety and Tolerability of Standardised Ashwagandha (Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Evaluation of in vitro toxicity of common phytochemicals included in weight loss supplements usingFEBS open bio · 2026Article
- Adverse Events of Saffron (Health science reports · 2026Article
- Patterns of herbal medicine utilization for hypertension during the Sudanese crisis of 2025.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- From Interaction to Intervention: Intentional CYP Inhibition as a Scalable Strategy to Expand Access to High-Cost Therapies.European journal of drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics · 2026Review
- Signals of Adverse Reactions to Herbal Medicines: Evidence and Document Analysis Based on a Scoping Review.Drug safety · 2025Article
- Herbal medicine evaluation for reimbursement-based facial palsy (HERB-FP): a retrospective analysis using Korean health insurance claim data 2020-2024.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2025Article
- The Efficacy and Safety Herbal Medicine for Symptom Management After HIFU Treatment in Adenomyosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Drug-herb interactions: a challenge and clinical concern in primary healthcare.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Review
- The safety of herbal medicines in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs): current landscape and promoting the pharmacovigilance practices.Journal of pharmaceutical policy and practice · 2025Article
- Prevalence, Forms, and Factors Associated With the Use of Herbal Medicine Among Adults Diagnosed With Hypertension at Naguru Regional Referral Hospital: An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study.Journal of tropical medicine · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundHerbal medicines (HMs) are extensively used by consumers/patients worldwide. However, their safety profiles are often poorly reported and characterized. Previous studies have documented adverse events (AEs) associated with HMs, such as hepatotoxicity, renal failure, and allergic reactions. However, the prevalence rate of AEs related to HMs has been reported to be low. To date, no systematic review and meta-analysis has comprehensively analyzed the AEs of HMs using published data acquired from pharmacovigilance (PV) databases.
objectiveThis study aimed to (1) estimate the reporting rate of the AEs of HMs using PV databases and (2) assess the detailed data provided in AE reports.
methodsIn this systematic review and meta-analysis, MEDLINE/PubMed, SCOPUS, EMBASE, and CINAHL were systematically searched for relevant studies (until December 2023). The DerSimonian-Laird random effects model was used for pooling the data, and subgroup analyses, the meta-regression model, and sensitivity analysis were used to explore the source of heterogeneity. Crombie's checklist was used to evaluate the risk of bias (ROB) of the included studies.
resultsIn total, 26 studies met the eligibility criteria. The reporting rate of the AEs of HMs ranged considerably, from 0.03% to 29.84%, with a median overall pooled estimate of 1.42% (IQR 1.12%-1.72%). Subgroup analyses combined with the meta-regression model revealed that the reporting rate of the AEs of HMs was associated with the source of the reporter (P=.01). None of the included studies provided full details of suspected herbal products, only the main ingredients were disclosed, and other potentially harmful components were not listed.
conclusionsThis systematic review and meta-analysis highlighted risks related to HMs, with a wide range of reporting rates, depending on the source of the reporter. Continuous efforts are necessary to standardize consumer reporting systems in terms of the reporting form, education, and follow-up strategy to improve data quality assurance, aiming to enhance the reliability and utility of PV data for monitoring the safety of HMs. Achieving effective monitoring and reporting of these AEs necessitates collaborative efforts from diverse stakeholders, including patients/consumers, manufacturers, physicians, complementary practitioners, sellers/distributors, and health authorities.
trial registrationPROSPERO (Prospective International Register of Systematic Reviews) CRD42021276492.
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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.