Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33407405›Full record

SynthesisBMC complementary medicine and therapies2021

Efficacy and safety of Si-Jun-Zi-Tang-based therapies for functional (non-ulcer) dyspepsia: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Yaping Wang, Bin Liu, Xiuqiong Fu, Tiejun Tong, Zhiling Yu

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC complementary medicine and therapies, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 19% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Evaluation of Bai-Zhu (BioMedicine · 2026
    Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Yaping WangSchool of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China.
Bin LiuGuangzhou Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Xiuqiong FuSchool of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China.
Tiejun TongDepartment of Mathematics, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China.
Zhiling YuSchool of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China. zlyu@hkbu.edu.hk.
Hong Kong Baptist University · HKGuangzhou Medical University · CN

Funding

Food and Health Bureau of Hong Kong HMRF04150476Food and Health Bureau of Hong Kong HMRF14150571Guangdong Provincial Department of Science and Technology 2016A030313007Hong Kong Baptist University FRG1/16-17/048Hong Kong Baptist University FRG2/17-18/032Hong Kong Baptist University (HK) RC-IG-FNRA/17-18/13National Natural Science Foundation of China 81673649National Natural Science Foundation of China 81803788National Natural Science Foundation of China 81874358Research Grants Council of Hong Kong GRF12102918Research Grants Council of Hong Kong GRF12125116Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission JCYJ20160229210327924Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission JCYJ20170817173608483
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe traditional Chinese medicine formula Si-Jun-Zi-Tang (SJZT) has a long history of application in the treatment of functional dyspepsia (non-ulcer dyspepsia, FD)-like symptoms. SJZT-based therapies have been claimed to be beneficial in managing FD. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of SJZT-based therapies in treating FD by meta-analysis.

methodsSystematic searches for RCTs were conducted in seven databases (up to February 2019) without language restrictions. Data were analyzed using Cochrane RevMan software version 5.3.0 and Stata software version 13.1, and reported as relative risk (RR) or odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The primary outcome was response rate and the secondary outcomes were gastric emptying, quality of life, adverse effects and relapse rate. The quality of evidence was evaluated according to criteria from the Cochrane risk of bias.

resultsA total of 341 potentially relevant publications were identified, and 12 RCTs were eligible for inclusion. For the response rate, there was a statically significant benefit in favor of SJZT-based therapies (RR = 1.23; 95% CI 1.17 to 1.30). However, the benefit was limited to modified SJZT (MSJZT). The relapse rate of FD patients received SJZT-based therapies was lower than that of patients who received conventional medicines (OR = 0.23; 95% CI 0.10 to 0.51). No SJZT-based therapies-related adverse effect was reported.

conclusionSJZT-based prescriptions may be effective in treating FD and no serious side-effects were identified, but the effect on response rate appeared to be limited to MSJZT. The results should be interpreted with caution as all the included studies were considered at a high risk of bias. Standardized, large-scale and strictly designed RCTs are needed to further validate the benefits of SJZT-based therapies for FD management.

trial registrationSystematic review registration: [PROSPERO registration: CRD42019139136 ].

Indexed as

Drugs, Chinese HerbalDyspepsiaHumansPhytotherapyRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTreatment OutcomeDrugs, Chinese Herbalsi-jun-zi-tangEfficacyFunctional (non-ulcer) dyspepsiaMeta-analysisSafetySi-Jun-Zi-tangTraditional Chinese medicine

Identifiers

PMID33407405
PMCPMC7788807
OpenAlexW3118491773

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.