Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress 2023 EHA Congress 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on sleep in brain health

LIVE: Thursday 2nd May 2024, 18:00-19:30 (CEST)

Quality sleep is essential for health. But what happens to our brains when sleep patterns are disturbed? Join our experts to explore the interplay between sleep disruption and neurological diseases, and the questions that you need to be asking your patients to help you prevent the harmful effects of sleep deprivation.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies
Published in: BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies 1/2016

Open Access 01-12-2016 | Research article

Utilization and prescription patterns of traditional Chinese medicine for patients with hepatitis C in Taiwan: a population-based study

Authors: Chia-Yu Liu, Jui-Ying Chu, Jen-Huai Chiang, Hung-Rong Yen, Chung-Hua Hsu

Published in: BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies | Issue 1/2016

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

To characterize the utilization of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) among patients with hepatitis C (HC).

Methods

This study examined datasets from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. One cohort, including one million patients randomly sampled from the beneficiaries of the National Health Insurance Programme from January 1 to December 31 in 2010, was chosen for this analysis. People who had at least three outpatient or inpatient records and had been diagnosed with hepatitis C virus infection from 2000 to 2010 were defined as patients with HC. Patients with HC who had at least one TCM outpatient clinical record from 2000 to 2010 were defined as TCM users (N = 5,691), whereas patients with no TCM outpatient records were defined as non-TCM users (N = 2,876). The demographic data, treatment modalities and disease distributions of TCM users were analysed.

Results

Overall, 66.4 % of the patients with HC had used TCM from 2000 to 2010. Of the TCM users, 54.1 % were female. The utilization rate of TCM increased with age and peaked in the age group of those 40 − 64 years old. Herbal remedies (52.4 %) were the most commonly used agents, followed by combination therapy (46.4 %) and acupuncture alone (1.2 %). Patients who had more extrahepatic diseases and were taking more antiviral agents tended to visit TCM clinics. Jia-Wei-Xiao-Yao-San and Dan-Shen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) were the most commonly used formula and single herb, with 88,124 person-days and 59,252 person-days, respectively.

Conclusions

Our nationwide population-based study revealed a high prevalence and specific usage patterns of TCM in patients with HC in Taiwan.
Literature
1.
Tindle HA, Davis RB, Phillips RS, Eisenberg DM. Trends in use of complementary and alternative medicine by US adults: 1997-2002. Altern Ther Health Med. 2005;11(1):42–9.PubMed
2.
Kessler RC, Davis RB, Foster DF, Van Rompay MI, Walters EE, Wilkey SA, Kaptchuk TJ, Eisenberg DM. Long-term trends in the use of complementary and alternative medical therapies in the United States. Ann Intern Med. 2001;135(4):262–8.CrossRefPubMed
3.
Organization WH. WHO traditional medicine strategy: 2014-2023. Geneva: Switzerland WHO press; 2013.
4.
Seo HJ, Baek SM, Kim SG, Kim TH, Choi SM. Prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use in a community-based population in South Korea: a systematic review. Complement Ther Med. 2013;21(3):260–71.CrossRefPubMed
5.
6.
van der Meer AJ, Wedemeyer H, Feld JJ, Hansen BE, Manns MP, Zeuzem S, Janssen HL. Is there sufficient evidence to recommend antiviral therapy in hepatitis C? J Hepatol. 2014;60(1):191–6.CrossRefPubMed
7.
Modi AA, Wright EC, Seeff LB. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B and C: a review. Antivir Ther. 2007;12(3):285–95.PubMed
8.
Metcalfe A, Williams J, McChesney J, Patten SB, Jette N. Use of complementary and alternative medicine by those with a chronic disease and the general population--results of a national population based survey. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2010;10:58.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
9.
Saydah SH, Eberhardt MS. Use of complementary and alternative medicine among adults with chronic diseases: United States. J Altern Complement Med. 2002;12(8):805–12.CrossRef
10.
Robinson A, McGrail MR. Disclosure of CAM use to medical practitioners: a review of qualitative and quantitative studies. Complement Ther Med. 2004;12(2-3):90–8.CrossRefPubMed
11.
Richmond JA, Bailey DE, Patel K, Jezsik JA, Muir A, Lin JR, Chow SC, Uzarski D, McHutchison JG. The use of complementary and alternative medicine by patients with chronic hepatitis C. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2010;16(3):124–31.CrossRefPubMed
12.
Ferrucci LM, Bell BP, Dhotre KB, Manos MM, Terrault NA, Zaman A, Murphy RC, Vanness GR, Thomas AR, Bialek SR, et al. Complementary and alternative medicine use in chronic liver disease patients. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2010;44(2):e40–45.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
13.
Gilmour J, Harrison C, Asadi L, Cohen MH, Vohra S. Informed consent: advising patients and parents about complementary and alternative medicine therapies. Pediatrics. 2011;128 Suppl 4:S187–192.CrossRefPubMed
14.
Park HL, Lee HS, Shin BC, Liu JP, Shang Q, Yamashita H, Lim B. Traditional medicine in china, Korea, and Japan: a brief introduction and comparison. Evid Based Complement Altern Med. 2012;2012:429103.
15.
Chen FP, Chen TJ, Kung YY, Chen YC, Chou LF, Chen FJ, Hwang SJ. Use frequency of traditional Chinese medicine in Taiwan. BMC Health Serv Res. 2007;7:26.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
16.
Chao TH, Fu PK, Chang CH, Chang SN, Chiahung Mao F, Lin CH. Prescription patterns of Chinese herbal products for post-surgery colon cancer patients in Taiwan. J Ethnopharmacol. 2014;155(1):702–8.CrossRefPubMed
17.
Liao YH, Lin CC, Li TC, Lin JG. Utilization pattern of traditional Chinese medicine for liver cancer patients in Taiwan. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2012;12:146.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
18.
Shih WT, Yang YH, Chen PC. Prescription patterns of chinese herbal products for osteoporosis in taiwan: a population-based study. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012;2012:752837.PubMedPubMedCentral
19.
Huang CY, Tsai YT, Lai JN, Hsu FL. Prescription pattern of chinese herbal products for diabetes mellitus in taiwan: a population-based study. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013:201329.PubMedPubMedCentral
20.
Huang TP, Liu PH, Lien AS, Yang SL, Chang HH, Yen HR. A nationwide population-based study of traditional Chinese medicine usage in children in Taiwan. Complement Ther Med. 2014;22(3):500–10.CrossRefPubMed
21.
Chen FP, Kung YY, Chen YC, Jong MS, Chen TJ, Chen FJ, Hwang SJ. Frequency and pattern of Chinese herbal medicine prescriptions for chronic hepatitis in Taiwan. J Ethnopharmacol. 2008;117(1):84–91.CrossRefPubMed
22.
Sievert W, Altraif I, Razavi HA, Abdo A, Ahmed EA, Alomair A, Amarapurkar D, Chen CH, Dou X, El Khayat H, et al. A systematic review of hepatitis C virus epidemiology in Asia, Australia and Egypt. Liver Int. 2011;31 Suppl 2:61–80.CrossRefPubMed
23.
Coughlan BM, Thornton LM, Murphy N, Tait MA, Flanagan PC, Kenny-Walsh EE, O'Lorcain PP. The use of complementary and alternative medicine in an Irish cohort of people with an iatrogenic hepatitis C infection: results from a health and lifestyle survey. Complement Ther Med. 2014;22(4):683–9.CrossRefPubMed
24.
Pu CY, Lan VM, Lan CF, Lang HC. The determinants of traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture utilization for cancer patients with simultaneous conventional treatment. Eur J Cancer Care. 2008;17(4):340–9.CrossRef
25.
Wolsko PM, Eisenberg DM, Davis RB, Ettner SL, Phillips RS. Insurance coverage, medical conditions, and visits to alternative medicine providers: results of a national survey. Arch Intern Med. 2002;162(3):281–7.CrossRefPubMed
26.
Yu ML, Yeh ML, Tsai PC, Huang CI, Huang JF, Huang CF, Hsieh MH, Liang PC, Lin YH, Hsieh MY, et al. Huge gap between clinical efficacy and community effectiveness in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C: a nationwide survey in Taiwan. Medicine. 2015;94(13):e690.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
27.
Fallahi P, Ferrari SM, Politti U, Giuggioli D, Ferri C, Antonelli A. Autoimmune and neoplastic thyroid diseases associated with hepatitis C chronic infection. Int J Endocrinol. 2014;2014:935131.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
28.
Chien SC, Chang WC, Lin PH, Chang WP, Hsu SC, Chang JC, Wu YC, Pei JK, Lin CH. A Chinese herbal medicine, jia-wei-xiao-yao-san, prevents dimethylnitrosamine-induced hepatic fibrosis in rats. TheScientificWorldJOURNAL. 2014;2014:217525.PubMedPubMedCentral
29.
Liao YH, Lin CC, Lai HC, Chiang JH, Lin JG, Li TC. Adjunctive traditional Chinese medicine therapy improves survival of liver cancer patients. Liver Int. 2015;35(12):2595–602.CrossRefPubMed
30.
Chen HY, Huang BS, Lin YH, Su IH, Yang SH, Chen JL, Huang JW, Chen YC. Identifying Chinese herbal medicine for premenstrual syndrome: implications from a nationwide database. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2014;14:206.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
31.
Park HJ, Shim HS, Chung SY, Lee TH, Shim I. Soyo-san reduces depressive-like behavior and proinflammatory cytokines in ovariectomized female rats. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2014;14:34.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
32.
Chang CC, Huang ST. Is Traditional Chinese medicine effective for reducing hyperthyroidism? J Altern Complement Med. 2010;16(11):1217–20.CrossRefPubMed
33.
Parajuli DR, Zhao YZ, Jin H, Chi JH, Li SY, Kim YC, Sohn DH, Lee SH. Anti-fibrotic effect of PF2401-SF, a standardized fraction of Salvia miltiorrhiza, in thioacetamide-induced experimental rats liver fibrosis. Arch Pharm Res. 2015;38(4):549–55.CrossRefPubMed
34.
Hu X, Rui W, Wu C, He S, Jiang J, Zhang X, Yang Y. Compound Astragalus and Salvia miltiorrhiza extracts suppress hepatocarcinogenesis by modulating transforming growth factor-beta/Smad signaling. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2014;29(6):1284–91.CrossRefPubMed
35.
Rui W, Xie L, Liu X, He S, Wu C, Zhang X, Zhang L, Yang Y. Compound Astragalus and Salvia miltiorrhiza extract suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma progression by inhibiting fibrosis and PAI-1 mRNA transcription. J Ethnopharmacol. 2014;151(1):198–209.CrossRefPubMed
36.
Lee AL, Chen BC, Mou CH, Sun MF, Yen HR. Association of traditional Chinese medicine therapy and the risk of vascular complications in patients with type ii diabetes mellitus: a nationwide, retrospective, Taiwanese-registry, cohort study. Medicine. 2016;95(3):e2536.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
37.
Chen J, Deng J, Zhang Y, Yang J, He Y, Fu W, Xing P, Wan H. Lipid-lowering effects of Danhong injection on hyperlipidemia rats. J Ethnopharmacol. 2014;154(2):437–42.CrossRefPubMed
38.
Shih SF, Lew-Ting CY, Chang HY, Kuo KN. Insurance covered and non-covered complementary and alternative medicine utilisation among adults in Taiwan. Soc Sci Med. 2008;67(7):1183–9.CrossRefPubMed
39.
Metadata
Title
Utilization and prescription patterns of traditional Chinese medicine for patients with hepatitis C in Taiwan: a population-based study
Authors
Chia-Yu Liu
Jui-Ying Chu
Jen-Huai Chiang
Hung-Rong Yen
Chung-Hua Hsu
Publication date
01-12-2016
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies / Issue 1/2016
Electronic ISSN: 2662-7671
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-016-1379-3

Other articles of this Issue 1/2016

BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies 1/2016 Go to the issue

Research article

Ethnopharmacological survey of herbal remedies used for treatment of various types of cancer and their methods of preparations in the West Bank-Palestine

Research article

Preparation and structural determination of four metabolites of senkyunolide I in rats using ultra performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole-time-of-flight tandem mass and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra

Research article

Methylferulate from Tamarix aucheriana inhibits growth and enhances chemosensitivity of human colorectal cancer cells: possible mechanism of action

Research article

Glucosamine sulfate suppresses the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-3 in osteosarcoma cells in vitro

Research article

An integrated global chemomics and system biology approach to analyze the mechanisms of the traditional Chinese medicinal preparation Eriobotrya japonica – Fritillaria usuriensis dropping pills for pulmonary diseases

Research article

Neuroprotective effect of a novel Chinese herbal decoction on cultured neurons and cerebral ischemic rats