Ancient Chinese herbal medicines hold promise for slowing the progression from prediabetes to diabetes diagnosis, according to new analysis accepted for publication within the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).
Prediabetes is diagnosed when an individual has developed elevated blood sugar levels, however the glucose levels have not risen to the level of developing type 2 diabetes. People who are prediabetic face a heightened risk of develope type 2 diabetes as well as heart disease and stroke. According to the Centers for Disease Management and Prevention, about seventy nine million American adults age twenty years or older have prediabetes.
“With diabetes evolving into a serious public health burden worldwide, it is crucial to take steps to stem the flood of cases,” said one of the study’s authors, Chun-Su Yuan, MD, PhD, of the University of Chicago. “Patients often struggle to make the necessary lifestyle changes to control blood sugar levels, and current medications have limitations and can have adverse gastrointestinal side effects. Traditional Chinese herbs may offer a new option for managing blood sugar levels, either alone or in combination with other treatments.”
Throughout the double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 389 participants at eleven research sites in China were randomly assigned to take either a capsule containing a combination of ten Chinese herbal medicines or a placebo. For a year, subjects took capsules of either the Chinese herb mixture, referred to as Tianqi, or the placebo three| times on a daily basis before meals. All participants received a month of lifestyle education at the outset of the trial and met with nutritionists many times throughout the course of the study. Subjects’ glucose tolerance was measured on a quarterly basis.
At the end of the trial, thirty six participants within the Tianqi group and fifty six in the placebo group had developed diabetes. The analysis found taking Tianqi reduced the risk of diabetes by 32.1% compared with the placebo, after adjusting for age and gender. The overall reduction in risk was comparable to that found in studies of diabetes medications acarbose and metformin, and study participants reported fewer side effects from the Tianqi herbs. Tianqi includes several herbs that have been shown to lower blood glucose levels and improve management of blood glucose levels after meals.
“Few controlled clinical trials have examined traditional Chinese medicine’s impact on diabetes, and therefore the findings from our study showed this approach can be helpful in slowing the disease’s progression,” said one of the study’s lead authors, Xiaolin Tong, MD, PhD, of Guang’anmen Hospital in Beijing, China, said. “More analysis is required to evaluate the role Chinese herbal medication can play in preventing and controlling diabetes.”
Story Source:
The above story is based on materials provided by Endocrine Society. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal Reference:
Chun-Su Yuan, MD, PhD et al. Chinese Herbal Medicine Tianqi Reduces Progression from Impaired Glucose Tolerance to Diabetes: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Multicenter Trial. JCEM, February 2014