No compelling evidence for herbal medicine use in COPD
There is no compelling evidence to support the use of herbal medicine for treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a systematic review published in the European
Respiratory Journal (2006;28:330).
Research fellow Ruoling Guo and colleagues from the Peninsula Medical
School in Exeter examined data from 14 randomised controlled trials and
identified several herbal remedies with the potential to improve pulmonary
function, to relieve symptoms or to reduce exacerbation severity and
frequency in COPD.
“Studies on herbal products containing Panax ginseng, Hedera
helix,
Salvia miltiorrhiza and some traditional Chinese herbal medicine decoctions
generated encouraging results,” they say. However, the researchers
warn that the studies are difficult to interpret, have many limitations
and are generally of poor methodological quality. They suggest that,
considering the popularity of herbal medicines, further, more rigorously
designed, studies are needed.
“Target COPD” Information about new and emerging treatments for chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease is contained in a report published this week by
the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry. “Target COPD” can
be found on the ABPI website (www.abpi.org.uk). |
|
The
Pharmaceutical Journal
Acrobat
Reader