Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39328557›Full record

ArticleHeliyon2024

Herbal medicines for long COVID: A phase 2 pilot clinical study.

Tae-Hun Kim, Jiwon Yoon, Sanghyun Kim, Byoung-Kab Kang, Jung Won Kang, Sunoh Kwon

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Heliyon, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
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  7. 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

6 authors.

Tae-Hun KimKorean Medicine Clinical Trial Center, Korean Medicine Hospital, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Jiwon YoonKorean Medicine Data Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
Sanghyun KimDepartment of Medical Classics, College of Korean Medicine, Daejeon University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
Byoung-Kab KangKorean Medicine Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
Jung Won KangDepartment of Acupuncture & Moxibustion, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Sunoh KwonKorean Medicine Convergence Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Infections of Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) can cause long-term effects known as long COVID. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a clinical study as well as the efficacy and safety of traditional East Asian herbal medicines in alleviating fatigue and cognitive dysfunction in patients with long COVID. Methods: This prospective pilot study investigated the use of three types of herbal medicines, Bojungikgi-tang (BIT), Kyungok-go (KOG), and Cheonwangbosim-dan (CBD), for a 12-week period as potential treatments for fatigue and cognitive dysfunction in patients with long COVID. Forty-five patients with long COVID were recruited, and one of three drugs was given based on the patient's symptoms and pattern identification. The effect of herbal medications on fatigue and cognitive function outcomes was assessed over a 36-week period, with patient adherence closely monitored. Results: After 12 weeks of herbal drug administration, fatigue symptoms improved significantly across all groups, with treatment success rates of 80 %, 53.33 %, and 46.67 % in the BIT, KOG, and CBD groups, respectively. However, cognitive dysfunction symptoms showed less improvement, with treatment success rates of 40 %, 46.67 %, and 13.33 % in the BIT, KOG, and CBD groups, respectively. All adverse events reported were mild and unrelated to the medication. The study design was found to be feasible with high medication adherence. Conclusions: This study demonstrated the feasibility of conducting a clinical trial with three herbal medicines to treat long COVID symptoms like fatigue and cognitive dysfunction.

Indexed as

Cognitive dysfunctionFatigueHerbal medicineLong COVIDPilot clinical trialPost-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection

Identifiers

PMID39328557
PMCPMC11425099

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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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.