Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40489881›Full record

SynthesisMedicine2025

Efficacy and safety of a traditional Chinese herbal formula Xuefu Zhuyu prescription for hypertension: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Yunxiao Zhang, Dong Guo, Hongshuo Shi, Wenwen Li, Jiaqi Fu, Shudi Li, Huidan Xie, Shouqiang Chen

Abstract readMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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.

Yunxiao ZhangThe First Clinical College of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China.
Dong GuoTeacher Development Center of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China.
Hongshuo ShiThe First Clinical College of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China.
Wenwen LiThe First Clinical College of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China.
Jiaqi FuThe First Clinical College of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China.
Shudi LiThe First Clinical College of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China.
Huidan XieThe First Clinical College of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China.
Shouqiang ChenDepartment of Cardiovascular Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China.ORCID 0000-0001-7958-2370

Funding

Natural Science Foundation Project of Shandong Province Natural Science Foundation Project of Shandong Province
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and stroke. Xuefu Zhuyu decoction (Xuefu Zhuyu prescription [XZP]) is a classic Chinese medicine prescription, which has been widely used in headache, vertigo, hypertension, and so on. This meta-analysis aimed at evaluating the efficacy and safety of XZP for hypertension and related risk diseases of hypertension, especially cardiovascular disease, with sufficient evidence.

methodsA comprehensive literature search was performed in 7 electronic databases from their establishment up to April 7, 2022, to examine the therapeutic effect and safety of XZP for hypertension. The primary outcome included systolic blood pressure (BP), diastolic BP, categorical BP, traditional Chinese medicine syndrome integral, and traditional Chinese medicine syndrome effect. The secondary outcomes were defined as vascular endothelial function, ventricular remodeling, and blood lipids. Poor prognosis included stroke, heart failure, and so on. Continuous variables were analyzed using mean difference and 95% confidence intervals. Relative risk and 95% confidence interval were used for dichotomous data. The data were pooled and analyzed by RevMan5.4.

resultsA total of 37 studies with 3391 hypertensive patients were included for meta-analysis. All studies compared XZP and antihypertensive or lipid-lowering drugs with conventional treatment used alone. Overall, 25 studies demonstrated that XZP substantially reduced BP compared with the control group (P < .00001). A total of 11 studies showed that XZP significantly improved symptoms in patients with hypertension (P < .00001). Meanwhile, this result indicated that XZP has good effects on lowering blood lipids, improving vascular endothelial function, ventricular remodeling, and carotid intima-media thickness, so it can reverse the damage of hypertensive target organs and reduce the incidence of related risk diseases (P < .05). Encouragingly, the incidences of adverse reactions and adverse outcomes were also lower than with conventional treatment. The Z curves for the key outcome indicators cross the traditional thresholds and the trial sequential analysis boundaries, indicating that the conclusions are reliable.

conclusionXZP shows good clinical efficacy in simultaneously reducing BP, protecting the cardiovascular system, and preventing related risk diseases of hypertension. XZP may provide a multiefficacy therapeutic method in the prevention and treatment of hypertension and its associated risk factors.

Indexed as

Antihypertensive AgentsDrugs, Chinese HerbalHypertensionBlood PressureHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTreatment OutcomeAntihypertensive AgentsDrugs, Chinese HerbalXue-Fu-Zhu-Yu decoctionhypertensionmeta-analysistraditional Chinese medicineXuefu Zhuyu prescription

Identifiers

PMID40489881
PMCPMC12150975

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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.