Traditional chinese medicine in the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis based on syndrome differentiation: study protocol of an exploratory trial

This study evaluates the efficacy and safety of TCM in the treatment of IPF.Methods and designA multicenter, exploratory, randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled trial is planned. A total of 80 patients will be enrolled in the study, which will include 26 weeks of treatment. Participants will be randomly assigned into TCM group or control group in a 1:1 ratio. The TCM group will be given TCM granules based on syndrome differentiation. Formulae include Bu-Fei Yi-Qi granule for lung qi deficiency, Bu-Fei Yi-Shen granule for lung-kidney qi deficiency and Yang-Yin Qing-Re granule for yin deficiency and inner heat. The control group will be given a corresponding TCM granule placebo. The efficacy and safety of interventions will be evaluated by the outcome variables, including frequencies of acute exacerbations, pulmonary function, clinical symptoms, dyspnea, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), 6-minute walk distance and safety indicators.DiscussionIt is hypothesized that TCM will decrease the frequency of adverse events, improve pulmonary function and HRQoL, based on our clinical experience. This trial is the first study of TCM treatment in IPF that is based on syndrome differentiation and will evaluate the efficacy and safety of TCM in IPF.
Source: Journal of Integrative Medicine - Category: Complementary Medicine Source Type: research