• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.85-107
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• 2023

Objective : To investigate the usage of Korean herbal medicine (KHM) for climacteric symptoms, this study reviewed clinical studies conducted in Korea. Method : Literature search was performed on three Korean database; OASIS, RISS and NDSL. Studies published before July 2023 were categorized and analyzed according to the study type and herbal prescriptions. Results : Fifty-eight studies including 7 controlled trial, 27 case series and 24 single case reports were included in our review and the total number of case patients was 420. 52 prescriptions based on syndrome identifications and 11 prescriptions of Sasang constitutions were used and the most frequently used prescriptions were Soyosan(逍遙散) and Guibitang(歸脾湯). Thirty-two prescriptions were also mentioned in previous delphi research or clinical practice guideline, and the rest were not. Thirty-five studies used acupuncture combined with KHM and 10 studies used pharmacopuncture and 5 studies used herbal hipbath. Conclusion : To increase the therapeutic effect of KHM and establish KHM as an alternative to hormone treatment, various prescriptions should be used according to syndrome identifications in the clinical field. High-quality RCTs on frequently used prescriptions and the development of various type of KHM are also necessary.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.81-88
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• 2009

Background : Almost people know hypertension's treatment is taking western medicine. But korean herbal medicine(KHM) also have an effect of turning down blood pressure. Objectives : This study aims to review the influence of KHM on hypertension in korean internal medicine's studies systematically. Additionally, we tried to estimate the change of data of hypertension and let people know a possibility of herbal treatment on hypertension. Methods : Systematic studies searches were performed on one database of korean internal medicine to November 2009. Screening and selection of the studies and extraction of data were performed by one author. Results : Twelve studies were included. All studies were performed retrospectively. Almost studies's object were hypertensive rats. Two studies's object were rabbits and only one study's object was hopitalized patients. Blood pressure and pulse was changed significantly after taking KHM in almost studies, and rest of items, aldosterone, catecholamine, electro, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitory effect, renin activity were changed significantly after taking KHM. Conclusions : KHM might have an effect of lowering blood pressure, but almost studies's object were animals, so it is necessary to investigate an effect of KHM for people.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.153-172
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• 2009

Background : The safety of Korean herbal Medicine (KHM: prescribed herbal medicine by doctors of traditional Korean medicine) is an important issue in Korea. Although both fields. western medicine and traditional Korean medicine. have been studied on the safety of herbs and KHM, their results were not concordance with each other. Objectives : This study aims to review the influence of KHM on liver function in Korean literature systematically. Additionally, we tried to estimate the change of data of liver function test (LFT) and the incidence of liver injury (LI) after the use of KHM. Methods : Systematic literature searches were performed on 4 major databases of Korea from their inception to May 2008. Screening and selection of the studies and the extraction of data were performed independently by two authors. There were no restrictions on the types of publication including grey literatures. Results : Forty studies were included. Only sixteen studies were performed prospectively and fifteen studies collected data from outpatients. Only 8 studies reported the occurrence of LI after the use of KHM. Nineteen cases of LI showed no or mild symptoms and the elevation of LFT was not high. All of LI patients used conventional western drug and KHM concomitantly. and causality of LI was not assessed properly. The incidence of LI related to the use of KHM was estimated as 0.59%-0.76% from all data of these studies. The conflicting results were shown on the change of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and total bilirubin (TB) after the use of KHM. Conclusions : KHM might be a minor cause of LI in Korea. However the results are not strongly supported as enough to make the safety issue clear because of the limitations of original studies. More rigorous studies are required for answering the safety issue of KHM with the cooperative investigation of both fields of Korean traditional medicine and western medicine.

• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.13-24
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• 2017

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to report the effect of Korean Herbal Medicine (KHM) on a Renal Cell Carcinoma with multiple liver metastases patient. Methods: One renal cell carcinoma with multiple liver metastases patient was treated by KHM in conjunction with targeted anticancer agent (Afinitor). The effect of KHM was measured by scanning with Computed Tomography (CT), Blood Test, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group scale. Results: Multiple hepatic tumors were reduced after the treatment during 5 months (Partial Remission, PR). As treatment was performed, complications induced by targeted anticancer agent (Afinitor) were alleviated. Conclusions: This case provides us a possibility that Korean Herbal Medicine offers potential benefits for renal cell carcinoma with multiple liver metastases patient.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.192-203
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• 2013

Objectives : To investigate the incidence of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) by combined-prescription of Korean herbal medicine (KHM; prescribed herbal medicine by doctors of traditional Korean medicine) and Western medicine on liver function. Methods : Sixty-nine in-patients who took KHM and Western medicine for various conditions were enrolled for prospective observational study. All subjects were given liver and renal function tests at the start of hospitalization to establish a baseline. After taking KHM and Western medicine, tests were done at approximately 4-week intervals afterwards. Results : Fifty-three subjects showed normal liver function test (LFT) at baseline, 50 subjects (72.5%) remained within the normal range at the second test, while 3 subjects (4.3%) tests revealed slight increase of LFT. However not a single patient had a high enough raised LFT to indicate liver injury. Sixteen of 69 subjects had abnormal baseline, 11 subjects recovered to normal levels and 5 subjects remained at abnormal level. Among all subjects, there was no statistically significant increase in LFT level between the first and second tests. Conclusions : This study shows that the combined-prescription of KHM and Western medicine did not cause any DILI. In some cases, combined treatment increased LFT levels but those increases were not high enough to have statistical significance. Additional large scale and systematical studies are required for more conclusive proof and results.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.715-722
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• 2009

The aim of this study was to investigate the safety of short-term use of Korean herbal medicine (KHM; prescribed herbal medicine by doctors of traditional Korean medicine) on liver function. Three hundred eighty four outpatients who took KHM for various conditions were enrolled for multi-center, prospective observational study. Of them 237 patients completed questionnaire and were checked liver function (aspartic aminotransferase;AST, alanine aminotransferase;ALT, alkaline phosphatase;ALP, total bilirubin;t-Bil, direct bilirubin;d-Bil, gamma glutamyltranspeptidase;GGT, protein and albumin) before and after taking KHM (duration; 21.4${\pm}$10.0 days), and data were analysed statistically. Of the 213 patients showing normal liver function test (LFT) at baseline, 209 (98.1%) remained within the normal range at the second test while 3 (1.4%) revealed slight increase of LFT. Only one subject had raised LFT regarding level of liver injury without perceived symptoms. Twenty-four of 237 patients were abnormal at baseline, and 16 at the second testing. Of the patients taking KHM, only 4 changed from normal to abnormal while 12 from abnormal to normal in their LFT. There were no significant increase in LFT level between the first and second test, except in the t-Bil level, however, the change of t-Bil was small and within normal range. The current study showed that the use of KHM did not increase the frequency of abnormal LFTs, at least in the short term.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.54-60
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• 2017

Many obesity patients were affected by depressed liver function including hepatosteatosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical effect of the obesity therapy with Korean herbal medicine (KHM) on obese patient with abnormal liver function. This is a retrospective observational study performed on obesity patients with abnormal liver function. All subjects have taken serum liver function tests (LFTs) before treatment. Ten patients showed abnormal LFTs. They were treated with KHM at least 15 days. During this treatment, LFTs were evaluated afterwards. Body weight and body mass index of the patients were decreased during treatments. Five of 10 subjects recovered normal levels of LFTs. While other subjects remained at abnormal level but their levels were decreased. This study shows that the obesity therapy including KHM could be effective to improve liver function on obese patient. Additional large scale studies are necessary for more evidences.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.50-56
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• 2018

Obesity is associated with menstrual cycle disorder. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical effect of the obesity therapy with Korean herbal medicine (KHM) on obese female patient with oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea. This is a retrospective observational study performed on obesity patients with oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea. Nine patients were treated with KHM and lifestyle management at least 2 months. During the treatment, body weight, body mass index (BMI), percent body fat (PBF) and menstrual cycle length were checked afterwards. Body weight, BMI, and PBF of the patients were decreased during treatments. Five of 9 subjects recovered to normal menstrual cycle. Two subjects improved menstrual cycle. The other subjects remained at oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea. This study shows that the obesity therapy including KHM could be effective to improve menstrual cycle on obese patient. Further large scale studies are necessary for more evidences.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.133-145
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• 2008

Objectives : The aim of this study was to observe and analysis the effectiveness of clinical treatments on the growth of children treated with Korean herbal medicine (KHM). Methods : Forty-two children of growth retardation were evaluated from January 2007 to May 2008. All children were administered KHM with diet and exercise guidance. Height percentile and predictive height were calculated following the General Growth Statistics Result (2007), and compared those of pre-treatment with post-treatment. Results : Thirty-one of them were improved (73.8%) and eleven were not (26.2%). The mean growth rate was 7.2cm/yr for male and 6.8cm/yr for female. The mean growth percentile of male showed 7.6% improvement (p=0.003), female 4.4% respectively (p=0.036). The mean predictive height of male showed 2.2cm improvement (p=0.005), female 1.0cm respectively (p=0.007). Change of growth percentile and height were significantly higher on period of prepuberty, and in small children below 50% of height percentile. About inter-relations between growth improvement and compliance of diet, exercise or medication, meaningful statistics were shown in diet control than the others (p=0.077). Diet compliance was in close connection with exercise, but others were not shown close correlations. Conclusions : These results showed that KHM showed promising results on children growth and healthy diet would be an important factor for growth of children. And it was recommended that KHM should be applied on period of prepuberty and smaller than average height.