Clinical evidence for acupuncture for adult asthma: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised sham/placebo-controlled trials

Objective: Acupuncture is a widely used asthma therapy, but the benefits remain uncertain. This study aimed to access the effectiveness of acupuncture for treatment of asthma in adults. Methods: Five English databases and four Chinese databases were searched from inception to November 2021. Randomised sham/placebo-controlled trials meeting inclusion criteria were included. Risk of bias was evaluated according to the Cochrane Review Handbook, and data analysis was performed in RevMan 5.4.1. Quality of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) profiler. Results: Sixteen randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were included in the meta-analysis. Results indicated that acupuncture was well-tolerated and could improve FEV1% compared with sham/placebo acupuncture [MD 6.11, 95% CI 0.54–11.68, I2 = 93%, number of participants (n) = 603]. Acupuncture also improved Cai’s Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) (MD 7.26, 95% CI 5.02–9.50, I2 = 0, n = 358), and reduced the asthma symptom score (SMD −2.73, 95% CI −3.59 to −1.87, I2 = 65%, n = 120). One study showed acupuncture increased the Asthma Control Test (ACT) score (MD 2.00, 95% CI 0.90–3.10, n = 111), and decreased exacerbation frequency (MD −1.00, 95% CI −1.55 to −1.45, n = 111). Other lung function and medication use parameters were not statistically significant. Conclusions: Acupuncture versus sham/placebo control appeared to improve quality of life, FEV1%, symptoms, and asthma control, and reduced exacerbation frequency per year. Further studies with appropriate controls, more participants, and high-quality evidence are needed

Effectiveness and Safety of Oral Cordyceps sinensis on Stable COPD of GOLD Stages 2–3: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Cordyceps sinensis (CS) is a complementary medicine used for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) of Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stages 2-3. Many randomized controlled trials have been conducted to evaluate the effect of CS alone or in combination with other herbs on stable COPD. To provide a synthesis of the evidence, we searched nine major electronic databases for randomized controlled trials on CS published before 21st December 2016. Fifteen interventional studies, including 1,238 participants, met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis showed that both CS preparations and CS formulae showed the potential benefits in lung function, exercise endurance, life quality, and improvement of symptoms. No serious adverse events were reported. So CS may be a promising treatment for patients with stable COPD of GOLD stages 2-3. No studies were placebo-controlled or of high methodological quality, which limits the conclusions

Feline aelurostrongylosis and canine angiostrongylosis: A challenging diagnosis for two emerging verminous pneumonia infections.

Aelurostrongylus abstrusus and Angiostrongylus vasorum (Nematoda, Metastrongyloidea) are causative agents of verminous feline and canine pneumonia. Both are presently emerging in several geographical areas and are of major clinical importance. OF Given the range of parasitic and non-parasitic pathogens which may cause cardio-respiratory distress in dogs and cats, the unequivocal specific diagnosis of both diseases is pivotal for unravelling their epidemiology and central to therapy and control. Several conventional clinico-pathologic, diagnostic imaging and parasitological approaches are currently used in practice, but all have major limitations in the specific diagnosis of these diseases. Serological methods have shown promise in the diagnosis of A. abstrusus and A. vasorum infections, but no clinically useful tests are currently available. Additionally, there have been major advances in the development of novel molecular diagnostic tools for feline aelurostrongylosis, but efforts to develop molecular diagnostic tests are still preliminary for angiostrongylosis. This article provides a review of A. abstrusus and A. vasorum infections in cats and dogs, focusing on the advantages and shortcomings of classical diagnostic methodologies and on present diagnostic advances as well as future perspectives instrumental to epidemiological and clinical studies

Oral ginseng formulae for stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A systematic review

SummaryGinseng alone or combined with other herbs has been increasingly used for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This review aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of oral Ginseng formulae for stable COPD.Four English databases and three Chinese databases were searched to identify randomized controlled trials. Methodological quality was assessed by Cochrane risk of bias and Jadad’s scale. Data were analyzed using Review Manager 5.0.Twelve studies overall of low quality, involving 1560 participants were included. Results of three studies showed a mean difference (MD) of 0.30 (95%CI 0.02 to 0.58) for forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) improvement of Ginseng formulae versus placebo control. Findings of three studies revealed an MD of 9.43 (95%CI 3.64 to 15.21) of FEV1 % predicted between Ginseng formulae and placebo control. Quality of life (Qol) measured by St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire was improved (MD −10.32, 95%CI −14.99 to −5.65) with Ginseng formulae plus pharmacotherapy versus pharmacotherapy alone in one study. There were no severe adverse events reported.Ginseng formulae for stable COPD patients show promising evidence of lung functions and Qol improvement. However, the degree of benefit is uncertain due to potential risk of bias of the included studies