title: The Use and the Prescription Pattern of Traditional Chinese Medicine Among Urolithiasis Patients in Taiwan: A Population-Based Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the pattern of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) usage for urolithiasis patients in Taiwan and to determine the most common Chinese herbal products used for urolithiasis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review of urolithiasis patients treated with TCM treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  One million randomly selected samples in the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database between 1997 and 2008.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-two thousand five hundred and fifty-one newly diagnosed urolithiasis patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The correlation between TCM treatment, demographic factors, or medical conditions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 62.6% of urolithiasis patients use TCM treatment. A younger age, female gender, polypharmacy, multiple comorbidities, and stone in the lower urinary tract result in a greater tendency to use TCM, after adjusting for demographic factors. Jia-Wei-Xiao-Yao-San Extract Powder and Ji-Sheng-Shen-Qi-Wan Extract Powder are the most frequently prescribed Chinese medicine formulae.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study to examine the use of and the prescription pattern for TCM in urolithiasis patients using a random, national population-based sample. More than 62% of urolithiasis patients use TCM, and patients with polypharmacy, multiple comorbidities, and stone in the ureter are more likely to use TCM. The most frequently prescribed Chinese medicine formulae were Jia-Wei-Xiao-Yao-San Extract Powder and Ji-Sheng-Shen-Qi-Wan Extract Powder, which were reported to retard the progression of renal failure and alleviate flank pain or tenderness.
authors.affiliation: 1 Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital , Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan .|2 Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, Chang Gung University , Taoyuan, Taiwan .
authors.forename: Po-Hung
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: 3 Institute of Traditional Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University , Taipei City, Taiwan .|4 Department of Chinese Medicine, Taipei City Hospital , Ren-Ai Branch, Taipei City, Taiwan .
authors.forename: Shun-Ku
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: 5 Biobank Management Center, the Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center , Taipei, Taiwan .|6 Department of Pathology and Graduate Institute of Pathology and Parasitology, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center , Taipei, Taiwan .
authors.forename: Ren-Jun
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.affiliation: 7 Graduate Institute of Food Science and Technology, National Taiwan University , Taipei, Taiwan .|8 Institute of Biotechnology, National Taiwan University , Taipei, Taiwan .
authors.forename: Kuan-Chen
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: 9 Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Taoyuan General Hospital , Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taoyuan, Taiwan .
authors.forename: Jui-Ming
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D052878:Urolithiasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal