Meta-analysis: reducing the recurrence rate of allergic rhinitis through oral administration of traditional Chinese medicine

Y. Zhang, L. Qi, R. Wang

First Clinical College, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China. enz1022@163.com

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• Rhinology

OBJECTIVE: A systematic review and meta-analysis were carried out to investigate the medical evidence of oral Chinese herbal medicine in reducing the recurrence of allergic rhinitis (AR).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Through computer retrieval of PubMed, ScienceDirect, WOS, and other databases, relevant randomized controlled literature was obtained based on the inclusion criteria and retrieval strategies. The retrieval time was set from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2022. The bias of the literature was evaluated using the bias evaluation module in Cochrane Manual Version 5.1.0, and the meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan software to verify the effectiveness of oral administration of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and its impact on reducing the recurrence rate.

RESULTS: The meta-analysis included 7 articles. In the meta-analysis of all articles, the effective treatment rate of oral administration of TCM reached 97.09%. Additionally, when comparing the recurrence rate of AR between patients taking Chinese medicine orally and other treatment groups, the recurrence rate of patients taking Chinese medicine orally was only 24.46%, which was significantly lower (p<0.05). Furthermore, the quality of life of patients taking Chinese medicine orally after treatment was significantly higher than that of patients in the control group (C), indicating the good safety of oral Chinese medicine.

CONCLUSIONS: Oral administration of TCM has demonstrated an effective reduction in the recurrence rate of AR, offering patients a good prognosis. This finding holds significant value for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of AR.

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