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Advantages of Chinese Medicine for Patients with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome in Rural Central China

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Abstract

Objective

To analyze the effect of Chinese medicine (CM) on mortality and quality of life (QOL) of acquired immunodefificiency syndrome (AIDS) patients treated with combined antiretroviral therapy (cART).

Methods

A random sample of AIDS patients enrolled in the National Chinese Medicine Treatment Trial Program (NCMTP) that met the inclusion criteria was included in this study. NCMTP patients were included as the CM+cART group, and those not in the NCMTP were included as the cART group. Survival from September 2004 to September 2012 was analyzed by retrospective cohort study. QOL was analyzed by cross-sectional study.

Results

The retrospective cohort study included 528 AIDS patients, 322 in the CM+cART group and 206 in the cART group. After 8 years, the mortality in the CM+cART group was 3.3/100 person-years, which was lower than the cART group of 5.3/100 person-years (P<0.05). The hazard ratio (HR) for mortality in the cART group was 1.6 times that of the CM+cART group by Cox proportional hazard model analysis. After controlling for gender, age, marital status, education, and CD4+ T-cell count, the HR was 1.9 times higher in the cART group compared with the CM+cART group (P<0.05). The cross-sectional study investigated 275 AIDS patients. The mean scores of all QOL domains except spirituality/personal beliefs were higher in the CM+cART group than in the cART group (P<0.05).

Conclusions

For AIDS patients, CM could help to prolong life, decrease mortality, and improve QOL. However, there were limitations in the study, so prospective studies should be carried out to confifirm our primary results.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Treatment and Research Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, 450000, China

    Qian-lei Xu, Hui-jun Guo, Yan-tao Jin, Jian Wang, Zi-qiang Jiang, Zheng-wei Li, Xiu-min Chen & Li-ran Xu

  2. Henan Key Laboratory of Viral Diseases Control with Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, 450000, China

    Qian-lei Xu, Hui-jun Guo, Yan-tao Jin, Zi-qiang Jiang & Li-ran Xu

  3. Traditional Chinese Medicine Center for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Prevention and Treatment, China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100700, China

    Jian Wang & Ying Liu

Authors
  1. Qian-lei Xu
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  2. Hui-jun Guo
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  3. Yan-tao Jin
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  4. Jian Wang
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  5. Zi-qiang Jiang
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  6. Zheng-wei Li
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  7. Xiu-min Chen
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  8. Ying Liu
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  9. Li-ran Xu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jian Wang.

Additional information

Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81403342 and No. U1604287), the Science and Technology Program of Henan Province (No. 172102310325, No. 172102310199, No. 142102310511), the National Special Science and Technology Program on Major Infectious Diseases of China (2012ZX10005010-001) and Special of Scientific Research of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Henan Province in China (No. 2015ZY02097, No. 2016ZY2036, and No. 2015ZY01004)

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Xu, Ql., Guo, Hj., Jin, Yt. et al. Advantages of Chinese Medicine for Patients with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome in Rural Central China. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 24, 891–896 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-017-2418-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-017-2418-8

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