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Chinese herbal medicines for hypothyroidism
Lin-qiu Ke1, Ying Hu, Kun Yang
1Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|April 28, 2015
Summary
This review found no randomized clinical trials on Chinese herbal medicines (CHM) for hypothyroidism. Therefore, there is currently no evidence to support the use of CHM for treating this thyroid condition.
Area of Science:
- Integrative Medicine
- Endocrinology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Hypothyroidism is characterized by reduced thyroid hormone production.
- Traditional Chinese Medicine theory attributes hypothyroidism to Yang deficiency.
- Chinese herbal medicines (CHM) are historically used in China to treat hypothyroidism by restoring Yang.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal medicines (CHM) for treating hypothyroidism.
- To synthesize evidence from randomized clinical trials (RCTs) on CHM for hypothyroidism.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature search of major databases including Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Chinese biomedical databases up to September 2014.
- Inclusion criteria focused on RCTs comparing CHM (alone or with hormone therapy) against placebo, no treatment, or hormone therapy.
- Searched trial registers for ongoing studies.
Main Results:
- No randomized clinical trials (RCTs) investigating the use of Chinese herbal medicines (CHM) for hypothyroidism were identified.
- Consequently, no data could be extracted or analyzed to determine the effects of CHM on hypothyroidism.
Conclusions:
- There is a lack of high-quality evidence from randomized clinical trials to support the use of Chinese herbal medicines (CHM) for hypothyroidism.
- No ongoing registered trials were found, indicating a need for future research in this area.
