title: Appraisal of the Quality and Contents of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Hypertension Management in Chinese Medicine: A Systematic Review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the quality and consistency of recommendations in the clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for hypertension in Chinese medicine (CM).
  
  
  METHODS
  CM CPGs were identified from 5 electronic databases and hand searches through related handbooks published from January 1990 to December 2013. Three reviewers independently appraised the CPGs based on the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE II) instrument, and compared the CPGs' recommendations on CM syndrome pattern classification and treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five CM CPGs for hypertension were included. The quality score of the evidence-based (EB) guideline was higher than those of the consensus-based with no explicit consideration of evidence-based (CB-EB) and the consensus-based (CB) guidelines. Three out of five patterns in the CPGs were recommended by the EB guideline. Tianma Gouteng Formula () in the EB guideline was recommended mostly for hypertension patients with pattern of ascendant hyperactivity of Gan (Liver)-yang and pattern of yin deficiency with yang hyperactivity in the CPGs. Acupuncture and massage were recommended for Grade I and Grade II hypertension with severe symptoms weakening the quality of life in the EB guideline. For Grade I and Grade II hypertension, CM could be used alone, while for Grade III hypertension, they should be used in combination with Western medicines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The quality of EB guideline was higher than those of CB and CB-EB CPGs in CM for hypertension and CM should be prescribed alone or combined with Western medicines based on the grade of hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
authors.forename: Ya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yuwen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
authors.forename: Xue-Jie
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100091, China.
authors.forename: Wei-Liang
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Weng
authors.affiliation: Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
authors.forename: Xue-Yao
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Qi
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Chinese Medicine College, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China.
authors.forename: Wei-Qiang
authors.initials: WQ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
authors.forename: Da-Sheng
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China. wangyanping4816@163.com.
authors.forename: Yan-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.|School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Ai-Ping
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000628:therapy*; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D011788:Quality of Life
keywords: Chinese medicine; clinical practice guideline; hypertension; syndrome pattern; systematic review