Efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of chronic pulmonary diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: To assess the efficacy and safety of various TCMIs treatments for COPD using network meta-analysis, providing evidence and guidance for clinical practice. METHODS: We will search 7 databases for randomized controlled trials of TCMI for the COPD, including PubMed, the Cochrane Library, EMbase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Biological Medicine, Chinese Scientific Journals Database, and Wan-fang databases, from the date of the establishment of each database to October 31, 2021. The network meta-analysis will be implemented through Aggregate Data Drug Information System 1.16.8 and Stata13.0 software. Pulmonary function included forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and FEV1/FVC will be the primary outcomes, FEV1 as a percentage of the estimated value, maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV), MVV as a percentage of the estimated value, 6 min walking distance, The St. RESULTS: A total of seven appropriate studies were identified, encompassing 490 patients. The quality of the literature was satisfactory, with no significant publication bias detected. The effectiveness rate for patients receiving a combination of TCM and Western Medicine (WM) compared to those on WM alone was evaluated as an odds ratio (OR), with statistical testing yielding Z = 6.09. For PO2 levels post-treatment, the mean difference (MD) was reported as 5.92. CONCLUSION: The results of this study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of TCMI in the treatment of COPD, and provide decision-making references for future clinical and scientific research. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420251047046, identifier CRD420251047046.