title: Clinical evaluation of the effect of daio (rhei rhizoma) on the progression of diabetic nephropathy with overt proteinuria.
abstract: We studied the effect of traditional herbal medicines containing daio (Rhei Rhizoma) on the long-term progression of diabetic nephropathy with overt proteinuria in eight patients [mean age 60 (45-73) years; duration of diabetes 18 (7-36) years]. At the beginning of the study, mean HbA1c was 8.2% and mean serum creatinine was 1.0 +/- 0.3 mg/dl. Everypatient had diabetic neuropathy and retinopathy. Three of the patients had hypertension and four had ischemic heart disease. After 107 +/- 25 months, the mean serum creatinine level had significantly increased to 4.8 +/- 2.6 mg/dl. The mean serum creatinine levels of five patients not advancing to dialysis treatment increased from 1.2 +/- 0.3 to 3.2 +/- 1.0 mg/dl, and the three patients requiring dialysis increased from 0.8 +/- 0.1 to 7.5 +/- 2.1 mg/dl. In the control group, treated without traditional herbal medicines, the mean serum creatinine level had significantly increased from 1.0 +/- 0.3 to 9.5 +/- 1.9 mg/dl after 71 +/- 12 months. All of the control group required dialysis treatment. Diabetic nephropathy with overt proteinuria is reported to develop into renal failure after 6-7 years. In this retrospective study, traditional herbal medicines with Daio were considered to be effective in prolonging the pre-dialysis period of diabetic nephropathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kampo Diagnostics, Institute of Natural Medicine Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Sugitani, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Hirozo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.forename: Kiyoaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanikawa
authors.forename: Shigehiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hikiami
authors.forename: Nobayasu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sekiya
authors.forename: Katsutoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Terasawa
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007677:Kidney Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal