Research paper
Efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine for intracranial hemorrhage by promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Study answer
What this study found
BACM combined with Western medical treatment was associated with better overall outcomes than Western medical treatment alone. Clinical effectiveness improved (RR=1.22, 95% CI [1.13 to 1.32], p<0.001), neurological deficit scores decreased (NIHSS MD=-2.75, 95% CI [-3.74 to -1.76], p<0.001), and functional status improved (Barthel index MD=5.95, 95% CI [3.92, 7.98], p<0.001). BACM also favored hematoma volume (MD=-2.94, 95% CI [-3.50 to -2.37], p<0.001) and cerebral edema (MD=-2.74, 95% CI [-3.01 to -2.48], p<0.001). Adverse events and mortality were not significantly different versus…
- Study & population
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 randomized controlled trials conducted in China in participants with intracranial hemorrhage.
- Intervention
- Blood-activating Chinese medicine (BACM) was used as an add-on to Western medical treatment in randomized trials of intracranial hemorrhage.
- Key limitation
- The included trials had substantial heterogeneity and a high risk of bias, which weakens confidence in the pooled estimates.
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Open PDFOriginal abstract
Background: Although blood-activating Chinese medicine (BACM) has been reported as adjuvant therapy for intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) in China, high-quality evidence is still lacking. Our study aimed to collect the latest high-quality randomized cont…