title: Effect of reinforcing kidney-essence, removing phlegm, and promoting mental therapy on treating Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the mechanism of reinforcing kidney-essence, removing phlegm, and promoting mental therapy in treating Alzheimer's disease (AD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty patients with AD in Wuhan No.1 Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Geriatrics from May 2009 to April 2011 were randomly divided into two groups, with 30 in each group. Patients in Bushenhuatanyizhi group (BHY group) took BHY instant granules (6 g, twice per day). Patients in the control group took piracetam (0.8 g, 3 times per day). There were twelve weeks in a course. Changes in the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) score and Activity of Daily Living Scale (ADL) score were analyzed before and after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MMSE scores in the two groups increased and ADL scores decreased after treatment, compared with those before treatment (both P < 0.05). The total effective rate was 86.67% in the BHY group (10 very effective, 13 effective, 7 non-responsive). The control group was 57.69% (5 very effective, 16 effective, 9 non-responsive) (P < 0.05). Superoxide dismutase levels were increased, lipid peroxide and triglyceride levels decreased after treatment in the BHY group as compared with the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reinforcing kidney-essence, removing phlegm, and promoting mental therapy can improve cognitive function and daily life of AD patients. The mechanism of the therapy might be related to improving blood fat, scavenging free radicals, and inhibiting lipid peroxides.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Senile Dementia, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan 430065, China. Ip_wh2008@126.com
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Mingwang
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Songlin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal