Angiology: Open Access
Open Access

Abstract

Effectiveness and Safety of Dihuang Yinzi in Treatment of Vascular Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Ting-Ting Li, Tong Lu, Xiao-Dong Lv* and Li-bin Zhana*

Objective: This study extensively evaluated the therapeutic effects of Dihuang Yinzi (DHYZ) decoction on Vascular Dementia (VaD), providing evidence-based support for the clinical use of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

Methods: A thorough search was carried out across several databases, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science (WOS), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Biology Medicine Disc (CBM), and the VIP Chinese Journal Database (VIP), to collect clinical randomized controlled trials investigating the use of DHYZ decoction for treating VaD. Literature screening was meticulously performed based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Cochrane Collaboration's risk-of-bias tool and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system. Data synthesis and analysis were performed using Review Manager 5.4 and Stata 17 software, while GRADE Profiler 3.6 was utilized to assess the quality of evidence for the outcome indicators (risk ratio, standardized mean difference, and weighted mean difference).

Results: A total of 23 studies involving 1,829 patients met the inclusion criteria. DHYZ decoction, either as a standalone treatment or in combination with conventional Western medicine, showed greater efficacy compared to conventional Western medicine alone in improving the overall clinical effectiveness rate, TCM syndrome score, activities of daily living score, Mini-Mental State Examination score and Hasegawa Dementia Scale score in the treatment of VaD. Additionally, DHYZ decoction demonstrated a favorable safety profile.

Conclusion: Current clinical evidence indicates that DHYZ decoction is effective and safe for treating vascular dementia, supporting its integration with Western medicine in treatment. However, the quality of the research methodologies needs improvement and these conclusions should be validated through further high-quality studies.

Published Date: 2024-12-12; Received Date: 2024-11-11