The efficacy and safety of combining different commercial Chinese polyherbal preparations with conventional Western drugs in the treatment of diabetic osteoporosis: a network meta-analysis.

What was studied

This review compared Chinese herbal products added to standard drugs. The disease was diabetic osteoporosis. It was a network meta-analysis. It covered 34 studies with 3,720 patients. It ranked how well each herbal regimen worked.

What they found

Every herbal regimen with standard drugs showed gains. These were for bone density, pain, bone turnover markers and blood sugar. Next to standard drugs alone, the mixes gave a better overall response. They also gave fewer side effects. The Guskang regimen ranked top in overall response. The abstract gives no numbers for each regimen.

What it means for patients

The authors say adding the herbal products to standard drugs improves clinical outcomes. They say this holds in diabetic osteoporosis. They call these results preliminary. They say the findings need to be checked.

Why it is not certain yet

The authors say high-quality, rigorous trials are needed. These should confirm the results. The abstract does not say how sure we can be of each result. A network review can only be as good as the studies in it. The abstract gives no long-term results.

Source

The efficacy and safety of combining different commercial Chinese polyherbal preparations with conventional Western drugs in the treatment of diabetic osteoporosis: a network meta-analysis.

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