Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42255255›Full record

ArticleIntegrative medicine research2026

Clinical evidence on integrated Chinese-Western medicine for atopic dermatitis.

Xufei Luo, Bingyi Wang, Hui Liu, Ke Xu, Xuan Yu, Yanfang Ma, Xiao Cao, Yan Wang, Yingguang Huang, Zijun Wang and 3 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Integrative medicine research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. 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

13 authors.

Xufei LuoVincent V.C. Woo Chinese Medicine Clinical Research Institute, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Bingyi WangEvidence-Based Medicine Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
Hui LiuEvidence-Based Medicine Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
Ke XuVincent V.C. Woo Chinese Medicine Clinical Research Institute, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Xuan YuChinese EQUATOR Centre, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Yanfang MaVincent V.C. Woo Chinese Medicine Clinical Research Institute, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Xiao CaoSchool of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
Yan WangSchool of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
Yingguang HuangEvidence-Based Medicine Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
Zijun WangEvidence-Based Medicine Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
Yuanyuan YaoEvidence-Based Medicine Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
Yaolong ChenVincent V.C. Woo Chinese Medicine Clinical Research Institute, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Zhaoxiang BianVincent V.C. Woo Chinese Medicine Clinical Research Institute, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common chronic inflammatory skin disorder with substantial global burden. In some regions, Chinese medicine (CM) and integrated Chinese-Western medicine (ICWM) are widely used, but the overall clinical evidence remains unclear. This study aimed to systematically map and synthesize evidence on CM and ICWM for AD. Methods: A structured literature review was conducted using 14 predefined clinical questions to guide evidence mapping. CNKI, Wanfang Data, PubMed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and CENTRAL were searched from inception to September 6, 2025. Included studies comprised clinical practice guidelines/consensus statements (CPGs/CSs), systematic reviews/meta-analyses (SR/MAs), and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating CM versus conventional Western therapy (CWT), or CM plus CWT versus CWT. Risk of bias and methodological quality were assessed using AGREE II, AMSTAR 2, and ROBUST-RCT tools. Results: A total of 285 studies were included (19 CPGs/CSs, 16 SR/MAs, 250 RCTs). Evidence was most abundant for oral Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) combined with CWT and for external CHM therapies. Integrated oral CHM plus CWT generally improved disease severity, pruritus, and quality of life compared with CWT alone. External CHM therapies showed comparable or superior efficacy to topical corticosteroids, with similar or fewer adverse events. Methodological quality was heterogeneous, and outcome reporting was often incomplete. Conclusion: The current evidence suggests potential benefits of CM and ICWM for AD, particularly for oral CHM combined with conventional therapy and external CHM interventions. However, the overall certainty of evidence is limited by methodological weaknesses and incomplete reporting.

Indexed as

Atopic dermatitisChinese herbal medicineIntegrated Chinese–Western medicineRandomized controlled trialsSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID42255255
PMCPMC13233538

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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.