title: Prescription patterns of traditional Chinese medicine for peptic ulcer disease in Taiwan: A nationwide population-based study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Peptic ulcer disease is a common digestive disease. There is a lack of large-scale survey on the use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for the treatment of peptic ulcer disease. This study aimed to investigate the utilization of TCM for the treatment of peptic ulcer disease in Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed a random sample comprised of one million individuals with newly diagnosed peptic ulcer disease between 2001 and 2010 from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. Demographic characteristics and TCM usage, including Chinese herbal formulas and the single herbs prescribed for patients with peptic ulcer disease, were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 96,624 newly diagnosed subjects with peptic ulcer disease were included. 14,983 (15.5%) patients were TCM users. People residing in highly urbanized areas, younger people and female (compared with male) were more likely to use TCM. With regard to the comorbidities, TCM users had a lower prevalence of coronary artery disease, chronic obstructive lung disease, diabetes mellitus and liver cirrhosis and stroke. The average time between onset of peptic ulcer disease and the first visit to a TCM clinic was 4.7 months. Majority of the patients (n=14,449; 96.4%) received only Chinese herbal remedies. The most frequently prescribed Chinese herbal formula and single herb was Ban-Xia-Xie-Xin-Tang (Pinelliae Decoction to Drain the Epigastrium) and Hai-Piao-Xiao (Os Sepiae), respectively. The core pattern analysis showed that combination of Ban-Xia-Xie-Xin-Tang, Hai-Piao-Xiao (Os Sepiae), Yan-Hu-Suo (Rhizoma Corydalis), Bei-Mu (Bulbus Fritillariae Thunbergii) and Chuan-Lian-Zi (Fructus Toosendan) was most frequently used for peptic ulcer disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study identified the core prescription patterns of TCM for patients with peptic ulcer disease in Taiwan. Further basic and clinical studies are necessary to elucidate the efficacy and mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, 2 Yude Road, North District, Taichung 404, Taiwan; Department of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chin-Ying
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan; School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wan-Yu
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: Department of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; Research Center for Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; School of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Mao-Feng
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Health Data Management Office, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Che-Chen
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Chinese Medicine, Buddhist Dalin Tzu Chi General Hospital, Chiayi, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Bor-Chyuan
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; School of Post-Baccalaureate Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hung-Jen
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Center for Traditional Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, and Graduate Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ching-Mao
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; School of Post-Baccalaureate Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chung-Hsien
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; School of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kuo-Chin
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, 2 Yude Road, North District, Taichung 404, Taiwan; Department of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; Research Center for Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; School of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan. Electronic address: hungrongyen@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hung-Rong
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Yen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D010437:Peptic Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013624:Taiwan; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal
keywords: Ban-Xia-Xie-Xin-Tang; Complementary and alternative medicine; National health insurance research database; Os Sepiae; Peptic ulcer disease; Traditional Chinese medicine