Background.Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), when given as a therapy for symptom relief, has gained widespread popularity among diabetic patients. The aim of this study is to analyze the utilization of TCM among type 2 diabetic patients in Taiwan.Methods.The use of TCM for type 2 diabetic patients were evaluated using a randomly sampled cohort of 1,000,000 beneficiaries recruited from the National Health Insurance Research Database.Results.Overall, 77.9%(n=31,289)of type 2 diabetic patients utilized TCM and 13.9%(n=4,351)of them used TCM for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Among the top ten most frequently prescribed herbal formulae, four remedies,Zhi-Bo-Di-Huang-Wan, Qi-Ju-Di-Huang-Wan, Ji-Sheng-Shen-Qi-WanandBa-Wei-Di-Huang-Wanare derivative formulae ofLiu-Wei-Di-Huang-Wan.In other words,Liu-Wei-Di-Huang-Wanand its derivatives were found to be the most common herbal formulae prescribed by TCM doctors for the treatment of diabetes in Taiwan.Conclusion.Although some evidence does support the use TCM to treat diabetes, the results from the current study may have been confounded by placebo effect, which emphasize the need for well conducted, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled studies in order to further evaluate the efficacy ofLiu-Wei-Di-Huang-Wanon patients with type 2 diabetes.

Little scientific evidence supports the efficacy of herbal medicines in the treatment of degenerative arthritis of the knee. The purpose of this study is to evaluate both the efficacy and safety of a finished Chinese herbal preparation Duhuo Jisheng Tang (DJT) in reducing symptoms of degenerative osteoarthritis of the knee.

Background. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), when given for symptom relief, has gained widespread popularity among women with endometriosis. The aim of this study was to analyze the utilization of TCM among women with endometriosis in Taiwan.Methods. The usage, frequency of service, and the Chinese herbal products prescribed for endometriosis, among endometriosis patients, were evaluated using a randomly sampled cohort of 1,000,000 beneficiaries recruited from the National Health Insurance Research Database.Results. Overall, 90.8% (N=12,788) of reproductive age women with endometriosis utilized TCM and 25.2% of them sought TCM with the intention of treating their endometriosis-related symptoms. Apart from the usage of either analgesics or more than one type of medical treatment, the odds of using TCM and Western medicine were similar in all types of conventional endometriosis treatment. However, endometriosis patients suffering from symptoms associated with endometriosis were more likely to seek TCM treatment than those with no symptoms. There were 21,056 TCM visits due to endometriosis and its related symptoms, of which more than 98% were treated with Chinese herbal products (CHPs).Conclusion.Gui-Zhi-Fu-Ling-Wan(Cinnamon Twig and Poria Pill) containing sedative and anti-inflammatory agents is the most commonly prescribed Chinese herbal formula mainly for the treatment of endometriosis-related symptomatic discomfort and the effects of these TCMs should be taken into account by healthcare providers.