Acupuncture combined with Buyang Huanwu decoction in the treatment of sequelae of cerebrovascular accident:a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background:Cerebrovascular accident has high morbidity,high disability,and high mortality,possibly causing several serious sequelae and bringing a heavy burden to the patient,the family,and the society.Buyang Huanwu decoction,a classic ancient prescription of traditional Chinese medicine,and acupuncture are often used in combination to treat the sequelae of cerebrovascular accident.In the present study,we systematically evaluated the clinical efficacy and safety of acupuncture combined with Buyang Huanwu decoction in treating the sequelae of cerebrovascular accident.Methods:Relevant randomized controlled trials of acupuncture combined with Buyang Huanwu decoction in treating the sequelae of cerebrovascular accident were comprehensively retrieved from electronic databases from inception to May 8,2020,including PubMed,Embase,The Cochrane Library,China National Knowledge Infrastructure,WanFang Data,and China Science and Technology Journal Database.The main outcomes of clinical efficacy,degree of nerve function impairment,daily self-care capacity,Fugl-Meyer locomotor function score,life quality score,and occurrence of adverse reactions were subjected to meta-analysis.Results:The 28 randomized controlled trials included 2,341 patients with the sequelae of cerebrovascular accident.Systematic review and meta-analysis indicated that compared with acupuncture alone,its combined treatment with Buyang Huanwu decoction significantly increased clinical efficacy(RR=1.19,95%CI(1.14,1.23),P<0.001),improved nerve function impairment(WMD=−4.89,95%CI(−8.25,−1.53),P=0.004),promoted daily self-care capacity(WMD=15.87,95%CI(11.22,20.51),P<0.001),strengthened Fugl-Meyer locomotor function(WMD=20.89,95%CI(13.79,27.98),P<0.001),enhanced physical functioning(WMD=16.99,95%CI(6.01,27.96),P<0.001)and mental health(WMD=16.91,95%CI(9.14,24.69),P<0.001)in terms of life quality score(SF-36 scale)of patients with sequelae of cerebrovascular accident,with few adverse reactions.Conclusion:Compared with acupuncture alone,its combination with Buyang Huanwu decoction had better comprehensive effects on sequelae of cerebrovascular accident without obvious adverse reactions.