Objective: This research reviews and investigates the trends in recent clinical studies of polycystic kidney disease (PKD) in China. Method: We searched for clinical studies discussing Oriental medicine-based treatments for PKD in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database. Thirteen clinical articles published from 2001 to 2019 were analyzed. The search focused on the authors, publication year, type of study, purposes of study, method and duration of treatment, evaluation criteria, and results of the selected articles. Results: Of the articles from the database, 9 case series and 4 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were analyzed. Ten articles used herbal medicine; 4 used herbal medicine for external use. Gamigyejibokryeong-hwan was the most common herbal prescription. The most frequently used herb was Polia Sclerotium (茯苓), and Cnidii Rhizoma (川芎) was employed in all the external uses. All 13 studies confirmed the efficacy of Oriental medicine treatments. Conclusion: 1. Scientifically designed and more varied clinical studies are required to develop treatments for PKD. 2. The current study could be used as basic data in future clinical studies on treatment and further studies of PKD.

Objectives: We conducted research on 100 cases of Korean medical health promotion programs to determine how they work. The objective was to report trends in such programs and, by extension, to suggest a development plan for the Korean medical public health program. Methods: To research 100 Korean medical health promotion programs, we analyzed source data published by the Korea Health Promotion Institute in 2014-2018 using 10 criteria. Results & conclusions: Based on effective trends, the development of a Korean medical public health program requires the following options. First, we should complement the systems with related legislation and deal with Korean medical doctors who mainly participate in public health programs. Second, we should improve the infrastructure of the program with internal support from the Korean medical association and clarifying the legal basis of the national budget. Third, we should seek substantiality of public health programs. Korean medical doctors should actively participate in the program, and related agencies should support the public health care center for the development of Korean medical public health programs in which many people can participate.

Objectives: This study examines the effect of Sagunja-tang on functional dyspepsia (FD) through a systematic review and meta-analysis of a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Methods: A search for RCTs that tested the effect of Sagunja-tang on functional dyspepsia was conducted in Medline, Embase, PubMed, CENTRAL, CiNii, CNKI, NDSL, RISS, OASIS, and KISS databases on November 8, 2020, with no limit on the year of publication. A meta-analysis was performed by synthesizing the findings, including total efficiency, clinical symptom score, myosin light-chain kinase (MLCK) level (pg/mL, and gastric half-emptying time (min). RevMan 5.4.1 software was used for data analysis. The quality of the literature was evaluated using Cochrane's risk of bias (RoB) tool. Results: A total of 14 RCTs met the selection criteria. As a result of the meta-analysis, the treatment group had higher total efficacy and MLCK levels (gastric antrum, jejunum) than the control group, and the clinical symptom score and gastric half-emptying time were lower. However, due to the low quality of the included RCT and the small sample size, the results may be slightly biased.

Objectives: Analyze papers on the effect of acupuncture on cancer pain from a macroscopic point of view, suggesting global trends and future research directions to promote acupuncture treatment for cancer pain. Methods: By filtering the papers searched for (acupuncture) AND (cancer pain) in the Web of Science database, 351 papers were selected and analyzed by year, field, journal, institution, author, and keyword. Results: Most papers were published in 2020, and research was active in the field of complementary and alternative medicine. Research on the effects of acupuncture in cancer pain has been active in cancer centers and university hospitals, research has been active in various countries. The most frequently mentioned keywords in the titles and abstracts were acupuncture, pain, and quality of life. The latest top 5 keywords were inhibitor-induced arthralgia, acupuncture therapy, risk factors, opioids, and recovery. Conclusions: Acupuncture treatment has the potential to reduce pain and improve quality of life in cancer patients, and it should be actively studied in the future.

Objectives: This study investigates the effects and safety of Bojungikgi-tang for stress urinary incontinence by systemic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods: RCTs were selected from articles published until December 2019 in seven domestic and foreign databases. The quality of the literature was evaluated using Cochrane's risk of bias (RoB) tool, and RevMan 5.3 was used to synthesize the results. Results: A total of 694 patients with stress urinary incontinence participated in eight RCTs. Meta-analysis showed that the total effective rate of treatment that combines pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) and Bojungikgi-tang was significantly higher than that of PFMT alone. The volume of urine leakage per hour after the combined treatment was significantly lower than that of PFMT alone. The International Consultation on Insurance Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF) scores from combining PFMT and Bojungikgi-tang were significantly lower than those for PFMT alone. Conclusion: This study suggests that Western medical treatment combined with Bojungikgi-tang for urinary incontinence from stress might be more effective in improving symptoms than conventional Western medical treatment alone. However, the number of studies included in the meta-analysis was insufficient, and the quality of the selected literature was generally low. Therefore, high-quality clinical studies on herbal medicine treatment for urinary incontinence would be required in the future.

Objectives: This study investigates the latest clinical studies on Korean medicine treatment of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) in China. Methods: A CNKI search investigated the last 10 years of clinical studies of Korean medicine treatments in Chinese medical journals for CSDH. The search focused on authors, publication years, types of studies, purposes of studies, methods and duration of treatment, evaluation criteria, and results of treatment. Results: In 19 studies, there were 14 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), 4 case series, and 1 case-control study. In all 19 studies, Korean medical treatment and Western treatment were combined. Herbal medicine was used in 19 studies and acupuncture treatment in 2 studies. The most frequently used prescription was Hyeolbuchukeo-tang-gagambang, and the most frequently used acupoint was PC6. In all 19 studies, the effectiveness of Korean medicine treatment performed in parallel with Western treatment was confirmed. Conclusions: In this study, Korean medicine combined with Western treatment for CSDH was effective. More clinical studies and case reports are required to develop a guided treatment for CSDH.

Objectives: This study investigates the effect of electro-acupuncture on aphasia after stroke. Methods: A search of OASIS, NDSL, PubMed, Cochrane, and CNKI was executed between 4 January 2021 and 4 February 2021, with no limitation on publication year. Extraction and selection from the studies were made by 3 authors. The quality of the studies was evaluated using Cochrane's risk of bias (RoB) tool. Results: 10 studies met the selection criteria. As the treatment site for electro-acupuncture, GV20 (Baihui) was used the most. In all studies, the region located on the head was used for treatment without distinguishing between acupoints and areas of scalp acupuncture, and the stimulation was organized into 3 conditions: speed, intensity, and time. The outcome indicators used before and after treatment focused on the evaluation of language function and the degree of aphasia. The results showed that using electro-acupuncture with speech rehabilitation therapy for aphasia after stroke was more effective than using speech rehabilitation therapy alone. Conclusions: In this review, electro-acupuncture for aphasia after stroke was found to have a significant effect compared to the previous treatment alone. However, because of limitations, information was not reliable enough. Additional research is needed to produce more objective evidence.

Objectives: Hand-foot syndrome (HFS) is a common adverse effect of chemotherapy in cancer patients. This review synthesizes research results to assess the effect of traditional Korean medicine (TKM) on HFS in cancer patients. Methods: Four databases (PubMed, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Research Information Sharing Service, China National Knowledge Infrastructure) were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to assess the effects of TKM on HFS. The effects and quality of RCTs were assessed with the Cochrane risk of bias (ROB) tool. Results: Six RCTs met our study criteria. In all six, TKM showed improvement in HFS symptoms as well as quality of life scores when compared to the control group. However, the methodological quality of RCTs was relatively low due to the unclear or high ROB. Conclusions: TKM would be helpful to patients with HFS after chemotherapy. To clarify the clinical efficacy of TKM, well-designed studies are required in the future.

Objectives: This study investigates the mechanism of Hwanggeum-tang (HGT) and Gamchosasim-tang (GST) on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods: The mice (C57BL/6N) were treated with distilled water and 3% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) to experimentally induce ulcerative colitis. The mice were divided into 7 groups of (6 mice: normal, negative control, positive control (with sulfasalazine), 4 experimental groups (with HGT and GST, respectively). RAW 264.7 cells were used for cell experiments. The experiment was conducted in two ways: in vitro and in vivo. Results: In the experimental group (HGT, GST) of in vitro experiments, NO production decreased, and significant changes in gene expression and protein activation were observed. The length of the colon recovered in the experimental groups (HGT, GST) of the in vivo experiment was longer than that of the negative control group, and the mucosal barrier was recovered. Sone significant changes in the amount of mRNA expression were partially observed, and significant changes in protein activation also were confirmed. Conclusions: HGT and GST are effective in treating IBD caused by DSS. In the same herbal preparation group, the higher the concentration, the better the experimental effect, and when the same concentration was tested, HGT was more effective than GST. Herbal medicine has a higher antioxidant effect than sulfasalazine, so it is also excellent for cell protection.

Objective: This study was designed to analyze the clinical features of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients who attended a Korean medicine hospital and the treatment effects through retrospective chart reviews. Methods: The medical records of 82 outpatients who had been diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and visited the Allergy, Immune, and Respiratory System Department of Kyung Hee Korean Medicine Hospital from 8 January 2015 to 8 January 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. To assess the treatment outcomes, we used the FVC (Forced Vital Capacity), DLCO (Diffusing capacity of the Lung for CO), 6-minute walk test, and HRCT (High Resolution Computed Tomography). Results: The study group consisted of 28 females and 54 males. The median age of the patients was 67.98±11.44 years. The chief complaints were cough (n=51) and dyspnea (n=49). Other frequent symptoms were general weakness (n=8), weight loss (n=4), and a fever (n=2). A total of 77 (93.90%) patients were prescribed Korean herbal medicine, and 52 (63.41%) patients were treated with acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping therapy, ICT, or pharmacopuncture. After treatments, FVC, DLCO, the 6-minute walk test, and HRCT were maintained or worsened slightly. Conclusions: This study presented the characteristics of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients treated by Korean medical therapies, and further studies of Korean medical treatments for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients would be valuable.

Objective: This study confirms the safety and efficacy of Banhasasim-tang (BST) against cough through systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: PubMed, Cochrane, ScienceDirect, Wiley online library, OASIS, KISS, NDSL, RISS, Science and Technology Society Village, DBpia, CNKI, J-STAGE, and CiNii were used as search engines. The search period was from the start of search engine support to June 30. 2020. And search language was not limited. Cochrane's risk of bias (RoB) tool was used to evaluate the quality of the studies. A meta-analysis of the total effective rate (TER), cough symptom score, and spirometry results was performed using the Review Manager program. Results: 6 studies were finally selected. The group using BST showed significant symptom relief, as the odds ratio (OR) value of TER was 5.56 times higher (95% CI: 3.50, 8.82, P<0.0001) compared to the control groups. The reported adverse effects did not occur in the intervention group. In addition, the cough symptom score and spirometry results showed that BST was more effective than Western medicine alone. Conclusion: BST can be expected to relieve cough, and it can be applied to chronic cough that is not treated with existing treatments. However, due to the low quality of the selected articles, additional high-quality RCTs will be required in the future.

Background: This case report shows the effect of Hyulbuchuko-tang on a patient with a contraindication to anticoagulants who complained about dyspnea caused by pulmonary embolism (PE). Case report: A PE patient with dyspnea was treated with herbal medication, Hyulbuchuko-tang, for 28 days. Evaluations took place by assessing time for oxygen application time per day, follow-up chest CT, and D-dimer test results. Oxygen application time per day decreased, and oxygen therapy ended on the 14th day of Hyulbuchuko-tang treatment. Follow-up chest CT showed resolution of PE. The D-dimer level decreased on the 24th day and decreased more after 1 month later. Conclusion: This clinical case study suggests that Hyulbuchuko-tang might be effective in the resolution of PE and can be an option as a treatment for PE patients with contraindications to anticoagulants.

This study presents the case of a 73-year-old Korean male with dysphagia caused by achalasia and aimed to assess the effectiveness of Korean medical treatment. The outpatient was treated with acupuncture, electroacupuncture, and herbal medicine (Bunsimgieum-gami, Gyejigayonggolmolyeo-tang, Bangpungtongsung-san) for about 6 months. We evaluated the patient's symptoms whenever he visited the clinic. The patient improved significantly after Korean medical treatment. In particular, dysphagia disappeared after herbal medicine treatment. This case report suggests that Korean medical treatment could be effective in treating achalasia. Further studies are needed.

The survival time of breast cancer patients with lung metastasis has been prolonged as treatment methods have improved. However, there is yet no definitive therapy for the additional symptoms of lung metastasis to improve the quality of life of these patients. We report a patient who was suffering from pleural effusion due to metastasized breast cancer. She was treated with Korean medicine, including herbal medicine (Bojungikgi-tang-gami), combined with hormone therapy, for two months. We assessed her other symptoms, such as shortness of breath, generalized weakness, and lower extremity swelling, using a numeric rating scale (NRS). We also evaluated pleural effusion with chest X-rays. Shortness of breath was maintained at NRS 5, generalized weakness was slightly improved from NRS 6~7 to NRS 7~8 (10=healthy condition), and lower extremity edema was improved from NRS 3 to NRS 2 (10=highest score of discomfort). Malignant pleural effusion was maintained during the admission period. This report suggests that Korean medicine can help to maintain malignant pleural effusion and improve additional symptoms of lung metastasis.

Objectives: This study aims to determine whether Korean medicine improves epigastric symptoms of biliary dyskinesia without unfavorable side effects. Methods: A 37-year-old woman who had chronic dyspepsia with intermittent back pain had gallstone-like sludge identified on ultrasound scan. We administered Saenggan-tang and used ultrasound examination to observe the changes in symptoms such as dyspepsia, the occurrence of back pain, and gallbladder contraction. Results: After 2 months of taking Saenggan-tang, symptoms such as dyspepsia, abdominal pain, headache, and back pain improved. In addition, biliary motility improvement was evaluated by ultrasonography. Moreover, there was no occurrence of any side effects. Conclusion: This study suggests that Korean medicine might be effective for managing biliary dyskinesia.

Objective: This study explored the clinical usefulness of Nangan-jeon decoction to treat refractory functional dyspepsia. Methods: A 61-year-old female had been suffering from severe functional dyspepsia for about 40 years, but the dyspeptic symptoms rapidly improved after taking Nangan-jeon decoction. The clinical outcome was assessed by the numerical rating scale (NRS) and the self-reporting method. Result: After there was no improvement from various herbal treatments in a department of a Korean college hospital, the patient moved to the author's clinic. She had been diagnosed with the pattern identification of "liver-kidney deficiency cold" and prescribed with Nangan-jeon decoction. This herbal drug rapidly improved her dyspeptic symptoms, from NRS 10 to NRS 2 (after 3 weeks) and NRS 1 (after 7 weeks). Conclusion: This case report is the first to present the potential of Nangan-jeon decoction to improve refractory functional dyspepsia.

Objectives: High natural killer cell activity (NKA) is associated with a clinically favorable status in patients with cancer. This study explores whether traditional Korean medicine (TKM) improves NKA in patients with cancer. Methods: We report three clinical cases involving patients with cancer who underwent NKA tests while they received TKM treatment, including acupuncture, moxibustion, wild ginseng pharmacopuncture, and Korean herbal medicines. We analyzed the treatment process and NKA test results of each patient. Results: The NKA of all three patients presented with an increasing tendency during the treatment process. Patient 1, who had been diagnosed with breast cancer, received inpatient treatment 3 times between September 16, 2017 and February 27, 2019. The NKA increased from 7.2 pg/mL to 571.7 pg/mL. Patient 2, who had thyroid cancer, was hospitalized 4 times between July 23, 2019 and August 27, 2020. The NKA improved from 317.4 pg/mL to 2000 pg/mL. Patient 3, who had liver cancer, received inpatient treatment 4 times between May 27, 2016 and January 10, 2017. The NKA increased from 22.2 pg/mL to 459.5 pg/mL. The chief complaints of these patients also were alleviated. Conclusions: TKM may be an effective treatment for accelerating NKA. Further research is needed to establish evidence that TKM stimulates NKA.