Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40604744›Full record

ArticleBMC complementary medicine and therapies2025

Prescription patterns of traditional Chinese medications and potential consequences in patients with new-onset cardiac or vascular-related diseases: a nationwide cohort study.

Sheng-Shing Lin, Hsin-Hui Tsai, Daniel Hsiang-Te Tsai, Chiu-Lin Tsai, Nanae Itokazu, Jaung-Geng Lin, Edward Chia-Cheng Lai, Hsiang-Wen Lin, Yu-Chang Hou

Abstract read
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Article in BMC complementary medicine and therapies, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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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

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Sheng-Shing Lin *Graduate Institute of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Hsin-Hui Tsai *Department of Pharmacy, Tai-An Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
Daniel Hsiang-Te Tsai *School of Pharmacy, Institute of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2841-0338
Chiu-Lin TsaiDepartment of Pharmacy, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
Nanae ItokazuNihon Pharmaceutical University, Saitama, Japan.
Jaung-Geng LinGraduate Institute of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Edward Chia-Cheng LaiSchool of Pharmacy, Institute of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5852-7652
Hsiang-Wen LinDepartment of Pharmacy, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan. hsiangwl@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6771-6746
Yu-Chang HouDepartment of Chinese Medicine, Taoyuan General Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taoyuan, Taiwan. HOUYC0115@gmail.com.

Funding

China Medical University Hospital DMR-110-079; DMR-110-080China Medical University, Taiwan CMU110-Z-07Department of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Ministry of Health and Welfare MOHW105-CMAP-M114-122403 and MOHW 104-CMAP-M114-112412National Science and Technology Council NSTC 112-2320-B-039-048Taoyuan General Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare PTH112073
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe patterns of Chinese medicine prescriptions, corresponding diagnoses, co-morbidities, and Western medication (WM) use among patients with cardiac or vascular-related diseases are uncertain. This research aimed to examine the patterns of Chinese medications (CMs, specifically in terms of extract granules), corresponding diagnoses, co-morbidities, and the use of WMs within specified follow-up periods among patients with potential of recurrent cardiac or vascular-related diseases and relevant outcomes.

methodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. We enrolled patients with newly diagnosed cardiac or vascular-related diseases without cancer(s), transplantation, bleeding diagnoses, or catastrophic illness during the 2-year period prior to the corresponding diagnosis. Prior and non-prior CM users were matched based on their propensity scores. Finally, we compared the CM and WM patterns prescribed by physicians, and co-morbidities in the 6 months following the diagnosis and the secondary cardiac or vascular-related events in the 2 years following the diagnosis between the two groups using the standardized mean difference.

resultsOf 191,025 patients with newly diagnosed cardiac or vascular-related diseases, 39,341 (20.60%) were prescribed CMs. Moreover, after propensity score matching, we identified 39,168 prior CM users and 39,168 non-prior CM users. Regardless of prior CM use, both groups had a relatively high rate of comorbidities; CM or specific WM use; and incidence of severe cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, or thromboembolic events (33.81% vs. 31.97%) and severe bleeding (18.32% vs. 16.57%). Only CM exposure within 6 months after the index date differed significantly between the groups (73.51% vs. 30.34%).

conclusionWe found that over 30% of patients with newly diagnosed cardiac or vascular disease initiated CM use, while 73.5% of prior CM users continued. This finding highlights the need for healthcare professionals to carefully assess the risk-to-benefit ratio of CM use alongside WMs for patients with cardiac or vascular-related diseases.

Indexed as

Cardiovascular DiseasesDrug PrescriptionsDrugs, Chinese HerbalHeart DiseasesMedicine, Chinese TraditionalPractice Patterns, Physicians'Vascular DiseasesAdultAgedCohort StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesTaiwanDrugs, Chinese HerbalCardiac diseaseChinese medicationPrescription patternsThromboembolismVascular disease

Identifiers

PMID40604744
PMCPMC12217369

What Socratic holds

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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.