A Meta-analysis Of Randomized Controlled Trials On TCM Treatment For Chronic Kidney Disease(CKD)

Objective: To explore the superiority of integrative medicine treatment for chronickidney disease (CKD).Methods: Databases including Medline, the Cochrane Library, CBM, CNKI, andWanfang Database were searched to identify randomized controlled trials(RCTs) on integratedmedicine treatment for CKD. The selection of studies, assessment of methodological quailtyand data extraction were performed independently by two researchers. The Meta-analyseswere performed by using the Cochrane Collaboration’s RevMan5.2software.Results: A total of11studies, involving1231patients, were identified. Baseline data ofthe studies were comparable. The results of the Meta-analysis indicated:(1)compared withACEI/ARB, TCM treatment was more effective on decreasing blood urea nitrogen and serumcreatinine, it also increased the total effectiveness of the treatment;(2)compared withthe blank control group, TCM treatment was more effective on decreasing blood urea nitrogen,serum creatinine and24h albuminuria and increasing the levels of serum albumin,hemoglobin, blood calcium and the total effectiveness, but the serum ionized phosphorus(P)was not decreased by TCM treatment.“Funnel plots” were not equally distributed, whichsuggested that publication bias might be existed attributing to negative results might not bepublished, the qualities of trial methodologies were lower and so on.Conclusion: The integrative medicine treatment for CKD is better than westernmedicine alone in decreasing biochemical indexes, increasing the total effectiveness andreducing the occurrence of CKD progress to end stage renal disease.