Efficacy and safety of Banxia-Houpo-Tang (Banha-Hubak-Tang) for depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: and purpose: Banxia-Houpo-Tang (Banha-Hubak-Tang, BHT) is an East Asian traditional herbal medicine used for treating depression. Hence, this review aimed to provide reliable evidence on the efficacy and safety of BHT for depression. METHODS: Overall, 15 electronic databases were searched until July 31, 2022, and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of BHT for depression were reviewed. The cochrane risk of bias tool version 2.0 was used for quality assessment. A meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of BHT for depression. RESULTS: Fifteen RCTs (1,714 participants) were included. The pooled results suggested that the efficacy of BHT alone (standardized mean difference [SMD], -0.39; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.79 to 0.00; P = 0.05) was similar to that of antidepressants alone in terms of the Hamilton depression scale (HAMD) scores. Their combination led to a more significant improvement in HAMD scores (SMD, -0.91; 95% CI, -1.21 to 0.60; P < 0.00001). Moreover, compared with antidepressants alone, BHT alone had a lower risk of causing adverse events, but the combination therapy exhibited a similar risk. No severe adverse events were reported. The overall risk of bias was high. The quality of evidence was very low to moderate. CONCLUSION: The study results indicate that BHT may be beneficial for treating depression. However, due to the clinical heterogeneity and low methodological quality of the included studies, the obtained findings should be interpreted with caution. Hence, further studies on this topic are warranted.