Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40786085›Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in medicine2025

Efficacy of Chinese herbal medicine in patients with osteoporosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Jin Wang, Fei Teng

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers 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

2 authors.

Jin WangDepartment of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The People's Hospital of Pizhou, Pizhou, China.
Fei TengDepartment of Orthopedic, The People's Hospital of Pizhou, Pizhou, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Current evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) supports the anti-osteoporotic properties of Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM); however, its therapeutic advantages over conventional treatments remain inconclusive. This study aimed to compare the therapeutic effects of CHM with those of conventional therapy in patients with osteoporosis, using a meta-analysis approach. Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, and Wanfang databases was conducted through March 2025 to identify eligible RCTs. The weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used as effect estimates, with pooled analyses calculated using a random-effects model. Additional exploratory analyses included sensitivity and subgroup analyses. Results: Eighteen RCTs involving a total of 1,816 patients with osteoporosis were included in the meta-analysis. CHM was associated with increased bone mineral density (BMD) at the lumbar spine (WMD: 0.09; 95% CI: 0.04 to 0.13; Conclusion: Chinese Herbal Medicine was associated with significant improvements in BMD at the lumbar spine, femoral neck, and Ward's triangle area compared to conventional therapies, though the evidence is limited by moderate study quality and high heterogeneity. The findings suggest potential benefits of CHM in specific skeletal sites, but further rigorous trials are needed to confirm efficacy. Systematic review registration: INPLASY platform (number: INPLASY202530115).

Indexed as

bone mineral densityChinese herbal medicinemeta-analysisosteoporosissystematic review

Identifiers

PMID40786085
PMCPMC12331595

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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.