Research Article

Oral Chinese Herbal Medicine as Prophylactic Treatment for Episodic Migraine in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Table 3

Treatment effects of all outcome measures.

OutcomeOverall analysis or subgroup analysisNumber of studies (n=)Number of participants (I/C)Estimated effects (RR or MD with 95% CI)I2 (%)

Frequency at EoTOverall analysis211567 (787/780)MD: −1.23 (−1.69, −0.76)97
Subgroup analysis (treatment duration >60 days)5318 (160/158)MD: −0.87 (−1.15, −1.15)75
Subgroup analysis (treatment duration = 56 or 60 days)2202 (100/102)MD: −1.92 (−4.43, 0.60)100
Subgroup analysis (treatment duration = 28 or 30 days)141047 (527/520)MD: −1.16 (−1.55, −0.76)88
Subgroup analysis (flunarizine dosage at 5 mg daily)8574 (286/288)MD: −1.64 (−2.65, −0.64)99
Subgroup analysis (flunarizine dosage at 10 mg daily)11877 (442/435)MD: −0.99 (−1.25, −0.74)75
Subgroup analysis (studies used Chuan Xiong plus Bai Zhi)10793 (399/394)MD: −1.00 (−1.41, −0.60)90
Subgroup analysis (studies used Chuan Xiong with Tian Ma)4278 (138/140)MD: −1.34 (−3.00, 0.32)99
Frequency at EoFUOverall analysis5345 (170/175)MD: −0.96 (−1.70, −0.21)96
Subgroup analysis (treatment duration > 60 days)3178 (90/88)MD: −0.43 (−0.98, 0.12)81
Subgroup analysis (treatment duration = 28 days)2175 (88/87)MD: −1.84 (−2.62, −1.05)78
Subgroup analysis (follow-up period = 56 or 60 days)2130 (66/64)MD: −0.45 (−1.20, 0.30)89
Subgroup analysis (follow-up period = 28 days)3223 (112/111)MD: −1.33 (−2.45, −0.20)92
Subgroup analysis (flunarizine dosage at 5 mg daily)2163 (82/81)MD: −1.29 (−3.09, 0.52)96
Subgroup analysis (flunarizine dosage at 10 mg daily)2130 (66/64)MD: −0.98 (−1.50, −0.46)61
Subgroup analysis (studies used Chuan Xiong with Bai Zhi)4253 (142/141)MD: −0.99 (−2.17, 0.19)96
Migraine days at EoTOverall analysis4446 (225/221)MD: −1.65 (−3.85, 0.54)96
Migraine days at EoFUOverall analysis3386 (195/191)MD: −2.18 (−5.08, 0.72)97
Pain VAS/NRS at EoTOverall analysis141038 (526/512)MD: −1.04 (−1.67, −0.40)96
Subgroup analysis (San Pian Tang)2175 (87/88)MD: −1.88, (−3.14, −0.62)92
Subgroup analysis (Zheng Tian pill/granule)2108 (54/54)MD: −0.64, (−1.08, −0.20)0
Pain VAS/NRS at EoFUOverall analysis2163 (82/81)MD: −1.56 (−3.73, 0.61)96
Attack duration at EoTOverall analysis201495 (752/743)MD: −2.24 (−3.18, −1.30)92
Attack duration at EoFUOverall analysis3250 (126/124)MD: −3.60 (−8.85, 1.66)97
Responder rate at EoTOverall analysis5467 (235/232)RR: 1.37 (1.23, 1.52)0
Acute medication at EoTOverall analysis5506 (255/251)MD: −0.58 (−1.03, −0.13)94
Acute medication usage at EoFUOverall analysis4446 (225/221)MD: −0.69 (−1.22, −0.15)96
HIT-6 at EoTOverall analysis1120 (60/60)MD: −3.29 (−5.51, −1.07)

Note: C, control group; CI, confidence intervals; EoFU, end of follow-up; EoT, end of treatment; HIT-6, Headache Impact Test-6; I, intervention group; MD, mean difference; n, number; NRS, numerical rating scale; RR, risk ratio; VAS, visual analogue scale.