title: The effect of Chinese herbal medicine Jian Ling Decoction for the treatment of essential hypertension: a systematic review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Jian Ling Decoction (JLD) is often prescribed to improve hypertension-related symptoms in China. However, this treatment has not been systematically reviewed for its efficacy against essential hypertension (EH). This review aims to assess the current clinical evidence of JLD in the treatment of EH.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven electronic databases, including the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, EMBASE, the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), the Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP), the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM) and the Wanfang Database, were searched up to March 2014. Randomised control trials (RCTs) comparing JLD or combined with antihypertensive drugs versus antihypertensive drugs were included. We assessed the methodological quality, extracted the valid data and conducted the meta-analysis according to criteria from the Cochrane group. The primary outcome was categorical or continuous blood pressure (BP), and the secondary outcome was quality of life (QOL).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten trials (655 patients) with unclear-to-high risk of bias were identified. Meta-analysis showed that JLD used alone showed no BP reduction effect; however, improvement on QOL was found in the JLD group compared to antihypertensive drugs. A significant reduction in systolic and diastolic BP was observed for JLD plus antihypertensive drugs when compared with antihypertensive drugs alone. No serious adverse effects were reported.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Owing to insufficient clinical data, it is difficult to draw a definite conclusion regarding the effectiveness and safety of JLD for EH, and better trials are needed.
authors: Department of Cardiology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors: Xingjiang
authors: X
authors: Xiong
authors: Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors: Pengqian
authors: P
authors: Wang
authors: Bio-organic and Natural Products Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA.
authors: Xiaoke
authors: X
authors: Li
authors: Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Yuqing
authors: Y
authors: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000075222:Essential Hypertension; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D011788:Quality of Life
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal
keywords: Chinese herbal medicine; Jian Ling Decoction; blood pressure; essential hypertension; systematic review
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