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Research Paper|Volume 16, Issue 22|pp 13627—13647

Therapeutic effects of Huangqi formula (Eefooton) in chronic kidney disease: clinical research and narrative literature review

Kuo-Cheng Lu1,2, San-Chiang Wu3,4, Tsuo-Cheng Lu5, I-Shang Tzeng6, Chun-En Kuo5,7, Yu-Chiang Hung8,9,10, Szu-Ying Wu5,7, Te-Chuan Chen11, Ming-Kai Tsai4, Chih-Kuang Chuang12, Wen-Long Hu5,13,14
  • 1Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City 23142, Taiwan
  • 2Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Fu-Jen Catholic University Hospital, School of Medicine, Fu-Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 24352, Taiwan
  • 3Wu San-Chiang Medical Clinic, Lingya District, Kaohsiung City 802014, Taiwan
  • 4Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Lingya District, Kaohsiung City 80284, Taiwan
  • 5Department of Chinese Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Niaosong District, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan
  • 6Department of Statistics, School of Business, National Taipei University, New Taipei, Taiwan
  • 7School of Chinese Medicine for Post-Baccalaureate, I-Shou University, Dashu District, Kaohsiung 840, Taiwan
  • 8Department of Chinese Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Beitou District, Taipei 112304, Taiwan
  • 9Institute of Traditional Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Beitou District, Taipei 112304, Taiwan
  • 10Department of Chinese Medicine, Taipei City Hospital, Linsen, Chinese Medicine, and Kunming Branch, Datong District, Taipei 103212, Taiwan
  • 11Division of Nephrology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Niaosong District, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan
  • 12Division of Nephrology, Chong Guang Hospital, Miaoli, Taiwan, Toufen City, Miaoli County 351, Taiwan
  • 13Kaohsiung Medical University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Shihcyuan, Sanmin District, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
  • 14Fooyin University College of Nursing, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Ta-liao District, Kaohsiung 831, Taiwan
Received: April 1, 2024Accepted: October 19, 2024Published: December 7, 2024
https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206170

Copyright: © 2024 Lu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Abstract

Objective: The study aimed to assess the clinical effects of employing the Huangqi formula (Eefooton; EFT) for chronic kidney disease (CKD) treatment. A narrative literature review was undertaken to elucidate the specific ingredients of EFT and their potential impact on renal health.

Methods: A retrospective observational study investigated EFT treatment in outpatients with stable CKD (stages 3B to 5) from March 2019 to March 2021. Patients received 20 mL of EFT thrice daily for 6 months, along with standard treatment. Control groups were matched to the EFT cohort. Regular assessments of renal, liver functions, and lipid profiles were conducted.

Results: Serum creatinine (Cr) and eGFR levels consistently improved in stage 3B CKD patients at each follow-up visit. At 6 months, improvement in Cr and eGFR was observed for stage 4 and 5 CKD. Stage 3B CKD patients exhibited notable reductions in systolic blood pressure after 3 and 6 months of EFT treatment. Remarkably, a substantial decrease in HbA1C was noted in stage 4 CKD individuals after three months of therapy. Additionally, stage 4 CKD patients saw a significant reduction in LDL levels after both 3 and 6 months of EFT treatment. A literature review on EFT ingredients indicated that the positive effects of EFT might be associated with its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-fibrotic properties.

Conclusions: This research demonstrated that incorporating EFT alongside standard treatment enhanced renal function in individuals with CKD. EFT is proposed as a feasible complementary treatment for CKD patients, emphasizing the importance of early intervention.