Meta-Analysis on the Efficacy and Safety of Traditional Chinese Medicine as Adjuvant Therapy for Refractory Androgenetic Alopecia

Table 2

The general characteristics of the 30 trials.

Study	Sample size (T/C)	Age (mean or range) T/C	Diagnostic criteria/classification [19–23]	Intervention		Duration of use (months)	Adverse reactions		Main outcome
				T	C		T	C
Yang et al. [24]	32/30	20–40	Guiding principles for clinical research of new Chinese medicine	ShengFa; Lotion (5 ml, qod, local)	Placebo (5 ml, qod local)	12	3	3	①
Chien et al. [25]	20/20	39.85 ± 8.77/35.30 ± 7.19	Hamilton–Norwood	BeauTop (2.4 g, bid, po)	Placebo (2.4 g, bid, po)	6	0	0	①
Liang et al. [26]	45/48	21.3 ± 1.58/21.1 ± 1.04	Clinical dermatology	YuFaYe; Lotion (4 ml, bid, local)	Placebo (4 ml, bid, local)	4	0	0	①
Yang [27]	40/40	28.4 ± 6.2/28.7 ± 6.0	Hamilton–Norwood (II-VI)	YiRen QuShi; Decoction (1 dose, qd, po)	Finasteride (1 mg, qd, po)	3	0	4	①②③④
Wu et al. [28]	84/74	29.34 ± 7.13/28.41 ± 6.64	Clinical dermatology	TuoFaFang; Decoction (150 ml, bid, po)	Finasteride (1 mg, qd, po)	3	NR	NR	①
Dai [29]	67/44	20–45	Clinical dermatology; Hamilton–Norwood (II-VI)	QuShi ShengFaFang; Decoction (1 dose, qd, po)	Finasteride (1 mg, qd, po)	3	0	0	①②③④
Wu et al. [30]	58/36	27.8 ± 5.9/28.47 ± 5.13	Clinical dermatology; Hamilton–Norwood (II-VI)	QuShi ShengFa; Decoction (1 dose, qd, po)	Finasteride (1 mg, qd, po)	6	0	0	①⑤
Sui [31]	46/46	26.43 ± 7.01/26.54 ± 6.62	Clinical dermatology	QuZhi GuTuoYin; Decoction (200 ml, bid, po)	Finasteride (1 mg, qd, po)	3	NR	NR	①
Wang et al. [32]	40/40	27.32 ± 6.06/27.14 ± 5.58	Clinical diagnosis and treatment of TCM dermatology	QuShi JianFaYin; Decoction (200 ml, bid, po)	Finasteride (1 mg, qd, po)	6	NR	NR	①
Li et al. [33]	112/73	26.42 ± 5.63/25.87 ± 6.12	Chinese guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of androgenetic alopecia	ShengFa Pill; Decoction (1 dose, qd, po)	Finasteride (1 mg, qd, po)	6	3	0	①
Wang and Zhang [34]	43/43	29.7 ± 8.5/28.6 ± 8.3	Etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of androgenetic alopecia	QuZhi ShengFaYin Decoction (150 ml, bid, po); Finasteride (1 mg, qd, po)	Finasteride (1 mg, qd, po)	6	NR	NR	①②③④⑥
He and Liang [35]	51/49	29.54 ± 5.79/29.92 ± 6.43	Hamilton (II–V)	DiHuang ShengFaLing Decoction (5 g, bid, po)	2%–5% minoxidil (1 ml, bid, local)	9	0	2	①
Mo [36]	35/33	18–50	Clinical dermatology	QuZhi ShengFa Lotion (50 ml, qid, local)	5% minoxidil (1 ml, bid, local)	6	0	0	①②③④
Zhang [37]	42/42	20–32	Clinical dermatology	JiaWei ErZhiWan Decoction (150 ml, bid, po); 5% minoxidil (1 ml, bid, local)	5% minoxidil (1 ml, bid, local)	6	NR	NR	①⑥
Liu and sun [38]	50/50	28.35 ± 4.52/28.23 ± 4.35	Clinical dermatology; Hamilton (II–V)	YiShen ShengFaTang Decoction (150 ml, bid, po); 5% minoxidil (1 ml, bid, local)	5% minoxidil (1 ml, bid, local)	3	1	1	①
Bao et al. [39]	29/28	27.96 ± 10.5/29.18 ± 9.787	MAGA (I-III); Ludwig (I-III)	Gao Fang Decoction (20 ml, bid, po); 5% minoxidil (1 ml, bid, local)	5% minoxidil (1 ml, bid, local)	4	NR	NR	①
Wang [40]	30/28	35.27 ± 5.74/35.57 ± 5.98	Clinical dermatology; Hamilton–Norwood (II-VI)	BuShen ZiYing Fang Decoction (1 dose, qd, po); Finasteride (1 mg, qd, po); 5% minoxidil (1 ml, bid, local)	Finasteride (1 mg, qd, po); 5% minoxidil (1 ml, bid, local)	6	0	0	①②③④
Xiang [41]	40/40	18–50	Hamilton–Norwood (II-VI)	ZhaQu PinWeiSan He Er ZhiWan; Decoction (150 ml, tid, po); 5% minoxidil (1 ml, bid, local)	Finasteride (1 mg, qd, po); 5% minoxidil (1 ml, bid, local)	9	2	4	①⑤
Xiang [42]	35/28	28.3 ± 6.7/30.5 ± 5.3	Clinical dermatology, Norwood-Ludwig	Tanshinone Capsule (2#, tid, po)	VitaminB2 (5 mg, tid, po); Vitamin B6 (10 mg, tid, po)	3	0	0	①⑤
Lin [43]	43/43	59.44 ± 2.57/58.16 ± 2.98	Clinical dermatology	Qibao beards folk prescription; Decoction (200 ml, bid, po)	VitaminB6 (10 mg, tid, po); Cystine (50 mg, tid, po)	4	NR	NR	①②③④
Gong [44]	46/46	20–48	Integrated Chinese and western medicine dermatology	JiaWei HuangLian EJiao Decoction (200 ml, bid, po)	VitaminB6 (10 mg, tid, po); Cystine (50 mg, tid, po)	3	NR	NR	①
Xi et al. [45]	45/35	30.1 ± 12.8/29.7 ± 11.6	Clinical dermatology	GuShen ShengFaTang Decoction (150 ml, bid, po)	VitaminB6 (10 mg, tid, po); Cystine (50 mg, tid, po)	3	0	0	①
Xia and Liu [46]	30/30	25–51	Clinical dermatology	ZiNi ZiShen YangXue ShengFaTang; Decoction (300 ml, bid, po); 5% minoxidil (1 ml, bid, local)	VitaminB6 (10 mg, tid, po); Cystine (50 mg, tid, po); 5% minoxidil (1 ml, bid, local)	6	NR	NR	①
Ye and Qi [47]	25/25	17–50	Clinical diagnosis and treatment of TCM dermatology	YangXue ShengFa HeJi; Decoction (30 ml, tid, po)	VitaminB6 (10 mg, tid, po); Cystine (50 mg, tid, po)	3	NR	NR	①
Xi et al. [48]	36/30	29.3 ± 4.7/29.6 ± 4.2	Hamilton (II-IV)	QuZhi ShengFa; Pill (9 g, tid, po)	VitaminB6 (10 mg, tid, po); Cystine (50 mg, tid, po)	3	NR	NR	①
Wang et al. [49]	83/45	26/29	Clinical diagnosis and treatment of TCM dermatology	Fukang mixture; Decoction (20 ml, tid, po)	VitaminB6 (20 mg, tid, po); Cystine (10 mg, tid, po)	4	2	0	①
Fang [50]	36/36	30.62 ± 10.04/29.94 ± 9.46	Clinical dermatology	ShengFa Decoction (20 ml, tid, po); 5% minoxidil (1 ml, bid, local)	VitaminB6 (10 mg, tid, po); Cystine (50 mg, tid, po); 5% minoxidil (1 ml, bid, local)	6	1	2	①②④⑤
Xie [51]	33/32	45.5 ± 1.2/45.6 ± 1.4	Guiding principles for clinical research of new Chinese medicine	JianWei YiShen, QuShi ShengFa; Decoction (bid, po)	21-Super-Vita (0.7 g, tid, po) Cystine (100 mg, tid, po); 2%KCZ (biw)	3	3	8	①
Liu [52]	60/60	42 ± 7.9/42 ± 7.8	Integrated Chinese and western medicine dermatology	Quzhi Fangtuo shengfa ying; Decoction (100 ml, biw, local)	21-Super-Vita (0.7 g, tid, po); Cystine (100 mg, tid, po); 2%KCZ (biw)	3	NR	NR	①
Xu et al. [53]	47/48	32.15 ± 4.62/31.21 ± 4.16	Clinical dermatology	ShengFa Ting Decoction (biw, local); Selenium sulfide (biw)	Selenium sulfide (biw)	3	0	0	①

T: experimental group; C: control group; KCZ: ketoconazole; NR: no record; ①: total efficacy rate; ②: itchy scalp level; ③: greasy scalp level; ④: dandruff level; ⑤: total symptom score; and ⑥: microelement level.