Published online Jan 16, 2024. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v12.i2.335
Peer-review started: October 26, 2023
First decision: November 8, 2023
Revised: November 22, 2023
Accepted: December 21, 2023
Article in press: December 21, 2023
Published online: January 16, 2024
Migraine stands as the most prevalent form of neurological disorder, imposing a significant burden on healthcare services. Yangxue Qingnao Granules (YXQN) represents a commonly utilized Chinese patent medicine for managing migraine. Yet, the available evidence remains insufficient to comprehensively assess the efficacy of YXQN for treating migraine.
Traditional Chinese medicine has been extensively employed as a treatment method for migraine. Clinical studies have validated the effectiveness of YXQN in migraine treatment. Nevertheless, there remains insufficient evidence to comprehensively evaluate the efficacy of YXQN for migraine. Consequently, the objective of this meta-analysis was to systematically consolidate data from these clinical trials, aiming to assess both the effectiveness and safety of YXQN as an independent treatment for migraine. This study also intended to establish an evidence-based foundation for guiding its further clinical applications and research endeavors in this field.
To assess the efficacy and safety of YXQN alone for treatment of migraine.
We conducted a comprehensive search across 10 databases to identify pertinent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published before September 2022. Two review authors independently conducted the literature search and screening and data extraction, and assessed the methodological quality of the studies employing criteria from ROB 2.0. Data analyses were performed using Review Manager 5.4 software.
A total of 12 RCTs including 767 participants with migraine met the selection criteria. We divided these studies into comparisons of YXQN with placebo, routine treatment drugs, and other Chinese patent medicines. The meta-analysis showed the following: (1) Efficacy: The YXQN group outperformed the placebo group [relative risk (RR) = 0.29, 95% confidence interval (95%CI): 0.15–0.43, P < 0.00001], routine treatment group (RR = 0.18, 95%CI: 0.09–0.27, P < 0.0001), and other Chinese patent medicine group (RR = 0.27, 95%CI: 0.13–0.41, P < 0.001); (2) frequency of headache: There was a significant difference between YXQN vs placebo [mean difference (MD) = -1.25, 95%CI: -1.60 to -0.90, P < 0.00001), routine treatment drugs (MD = -0.85, 95%CI: -1.15 to -0.56, P < 0.00001), and other Chinese patent medicines (MD = -0.91, 95%CI: -1.35 to -0.46, P < 0.0001); (3) headache duration: There was great heterogeneity between studies, with no differences between YXQN and placebo (MD = -0.61, 95%CI: -1.53 to -0.31, P = 0.19) and routine treatment drugs (MD = -0.22, 95%CI: -0.89 to 0.46, P < 0.53). YXQN was more effective than other Chinese patent medicines in reducing headache duration (MD = -1.24, 95%CI: -1.70 to -0.77; P < 0.00001); and (4) headache severity: There was no significant difference between YXQN vs placebo (MD = -1.67, 95%CI: -3.52 to 0.19, P = 0.08), routine treatment drugs (MD = -0.53, 95%CI: -2.02 to 0.96, P = 0.68), and other Chinese patent medicines (MD = -0.49, 95%CI: -2.83 to 1.85, P = 0.68). Mild gastrointestinal adverse reactions were reported in three cases.
This study revealed that YXQN is effective and safe for treatment of migraine.
Our meta-analysis indicated that YXQN represents a promising alternative for the treatment of migraines. However, due to the inadequate methodological quality observed in the included studies, further data and extensive investigation are imperative to establish its efficacy definitively. Additionally, there is a necessity for additional research to explore the effectiveness of YXQN for treating migraine in diverse ethnic populations.