Effects of comprehensive therapy based on traditional Chinese medicine patterns on older patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a subgroup analysis from a four-center, randomized, controlled study

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of comprehensive therapy based on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) patterns on older patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) through a four-center, open-label, randomized controlled trial. Patients were divided into the trial group treated using conventional western medicine and Bu-Fei Jian-Pi granules, Bu-Fei Yi-Shen granules, and Yi-Qi Zi-Shen granules based on TCM patterns respectively; and the control group treated using conventional western medicine. A total of 136 patients≥65 years completed the study, with 63 patients comprising the trial group and 73 comprising the control group. After the six-month treatment and the 12-month follow-up period, significant differences were observed between the trial and control groups in the following aspects: frequency of acute exacerbation (P≤0.040), duration of acute exacerbation (P = 0.034), symptoms (P≤0.034), 6-min walking distance (6MWD) (P≤0.039), dyspnea scale (P≤0.036); physical domain (P≤0.019), psychological domain (P≤0.033), social domain (P≤0.020), and environmental domain (P≤0.044) of the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire; and daily living ability domain (P≤0.007), social activity domain (P≤0.018), depression symptoms domain (P≤0.025), and anxiety symptoms domain (P≤0.037) of the COPD-QOL. No differences were observed between the trial and control groups with regard to FVC, FEV1, and FEV1%.

Keywords

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease / older adult / clinical trial / Bu-Fei Jian-Pi granules / Bu-Fei Yi-Shen granules / Yi-Qi Zi-Shen granules

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