Po-Hung Lin1,2, Shun-Ku Lin3,4, Ren-Jun Hsu5,6, Kuan-Chen Cheng7,8, Jui-Ming Liu9. 1. 1 Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital , Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan . 2. 2 Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, Chang Gung University , Taoyuan, Taiwan . 3. 3 Institute of Traditional Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University , Taipei City, Taiwan . 4. 4 Department of Chinese Medicine, Taipei City Hospital , Ren-Ai Branch, Taipei City, Taiwan . 5. 5 Biobank Management Center, the Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center , Taipei, Taiwan . 6. 6 Department of Pathology and Graduate Institute of Pathology and Parasitology, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center , Taipei, Taiwan . 7. 7 Graduate Institute of Food Science and Technology, National Taiwan University , Taipei, Taiwan . 8. 8 Institute of Biotechnology, National Taiwan University , Taipei, Taiwan . 9. 9 Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Taoyuan General Hospital , Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taoyuan, Taiwan .
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the pattern of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) usage for urolithiasis patients in Taiwan and to determine the most common Chinese herbal products used for urolithiasis. DESIGN: Retrospective review of urolithiasis patients treated with TCM treatment. SETTINGS/LOCATION: One million randomly selected samples in the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database between 1997 and 2008. PATIENTS: Eighty-two thousand five hundred and fifty-one newly diagnosed urolithiasis patients. OUTCOME MEASURES: The correlation between TCM treatment, demographic factors, or medical conditions. RESULTS: A total of 62.6% of urolithiasis patients use TCM treatment. A younger age, female gender, polypharmacy, multiple comorbidities, and stone in the lower urinary tract result in a greater tendency to use TCM, after adjusting for demographic factors. Jia-Wei-Xiao-Yao-San Extract Powder and Ji-Sheng-Shen-Qi-Wan Extract Powder are the most frequently prescribed Chinese medicine formulae. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to examine the use of and the prescription pattern for TCM in urolithiasis patients using a random, national population-based sample. More than 62% of urolithiasis patients use TCM, and patients with polypharmacy, multiple comorbidities, and stone in the ureter are more likely to use TCM. The most frequently prescribed Chinese medicine formulae were Jia-Wei-Xiao-Yao-San Extract Powder and Ji-Sheng-Shen-Qi-Wan Extract Powder, which were reported to retard the progression of renal failure and alleviate flank pain or tenderness.
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the pattern of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) usage for urolithiasispatients in Taiwan and to determine the most common Chinese herbal products used for urolithiasis. DESIGN: Retrospective review of urolithiasispatients treated with TCM treatment. SETTINGS/LOCATION: One million randomly selected samples in the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database between 1997 and 2008. PATIENTS: Eighty-two thousand five hundred and fifty-one newly diagnosed urolithiasispatients. OUTCOME MEASURES: The correlation between TCM treatment, demographic factors, or medical conditions. RESULTS: A total of 62.6% of urolithiasispatients use TCM treatment. A younger age, female gender, polypharmacy, multiple comorbidities, and stone in the lower urinary tract result in a greater tendency to use TCM, after adjusting for demographic factors. Jia-Wei-Xiao-Yao-San Extract Powder and Ji-Sheng-Shen-Qi-Wan Extract Powder are the most frequently prescribed Chinese medicine formulae. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to examine the use of and the prescription pattern for TCM in urolithiasispatients using a random, national population-based sample. More than 62% of urolithiasispatients use TCM, and patients with polypharmacy, multiple comorbidities, and stone in the ureter are more likely to use TCM. The most frequently prescribed Chinese medicine formulae were Jia-Wei-Xiao-Yao-San Extract Powder and Ji-Sheng-Shen-Qi-Wan Extract Powder, which were reported to retard the progression of renal failure and alleviate flank pain or tenderness.