Dataset Information

Utilization of traditional herbal medicine formulas for unexplained female infertility in Korea: a retrospective study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

This study aimed to investigate the prescription of traditional herbal medicines for the treatment of unexplained female infertility in Korea. By analyzing the relationships among the prescriptions and between the prescriptions and treatment outcomes, we aimed to confirm the utilization of standardized prescriptions and the effectiveness of this standardization.

Methods

The data were derived from the "support projects" of the local government for infertile women to receive Korean medical treatments. The presciption data of 453 participants from 2017 to 2018 were analyzed. Data preprocessing, frequency analysis, and network analysis were conducted. For network analysis, the characteristics of the herbal medicine prescriptions were used to calculate the degree centrality, closeness centrality and eigenvector centrality. Modularity clustering was also performed for cluster analysis.

Results

Fifty different prescriptions were used, among which only 22 were used for participants who became pregnant. The recommended standard prescriptions for support projects were used frequently. "BaeranChacksangBang" showed the highest level of in-degree centrality. Among the prescriptions for participants who became pregnant, "JogyeongJongokTang" and "BaeranChacksangBang" were the most influential nodes. "BaeranChacksangBang", "AnjeonYicheonTang", "YukLinZu" and "JogyeongJongokTang" had high closeness centrality among the prescriptions for participants who became pregnant. Clustering analysis of the prescriptions for participants who became pregnant revealed that the prescriptions showed the best modularity when divided into five groups.

Conclusions

These findings depict the utilization of Korean herbal medicine in the real world and the dynamics underlying the herbal medicine prescription patterns for infertile women.

SUBMITTER: Choi SJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10585731 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Utilization of traditional herbal medicine formulas for unexplained female infertility in Korea: a retrospective study.

Choi Su-Ji SJ Kim Dong-Il DI

BMC complementary medicine and therapies 20231019 1

<h4>Background</h4>This study aimed to investigate the prescription of traditional herbal medicines for the treatment of unexplained female infertility in Korea. By analyzing the relationships among the prescriptions and between the prescriptions and treatment outcomes, we aimed to confirm the utilization of standardized prescriptions and the effectiveness of this standardization.<h4>Methods</h4>The data were derived from the "support projects" of the local government for infertile women to rece ...[more]

PMID: 37858191

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Project description:BackgroundTraditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulas are combinations of Chinese herbal medicines. Knowledge of classic medicine formulas is the basis of TCM diagnosis and treatment and is the core of TCM inheritance. The large number and flexibility of medicine formulas make memorization difficult, and understanding their composition rules is even more difficult. The multifaceted and multidimensional properties of herbal medicines are important for understanding the formula; however, these are usually separated from the formula information. Furthermore, these data are presented as text and cannot be analyzed jointly and interactively.ObjectiveWe aimed to devise a visualization method for TCM formulas that shows the composition of medicine formulas and the multidimensional properties of herbal medicines involved and supports the comparison of medicine formulas.MethodsA TCM formula visualization method with multiple linked views is proposed and implemented as a web-based tool after close collaboration between visualization and TCM experts. The composition of medicine formulas is visualized in a formula view with a similarity-based layout supporting the comparison of compositing herbs; a shared herb view complements the formula view by showing all overlaps of pair-wise formulas; and a dimensionality-reduction plot of herbs enables the visualization of multidimensional herb properties. The usefulness of the tool was evaluated through a usability study with TCM experts.ResultsOur method was applied to 2 typical categories of medicine formulas, namely tonic formulas and heat-clearing formulas, which contain 20 and 26 formulas composed of 58 and 73 herbal medicines, respectively. Each herbal medicine has a 23-dimensional characterizing attribute. In the usability study, TCM experts explored the 2 data sets with our web-based tool and quickly gained insight into formulas and herbs of interest, as well as the overall features of the formula groups that are difficult to identify with the traditional text-based method. Moreover, feedback from the experts indicated the usefulness of the proposed method.ConclusionsOur TCM formula visualization method is able to visualize and compare complex medicine formulas and the multidimensional attributes of herbal medicines using a web-based tool. TCM experts gained insights into 2 typical medicine formula categories using our method. Overall, the new method is a promising first step toward new TCM formula education and analysis methodologies.

Project description:BackgroundAn external herbal dispensary (EHD) is a type of pharmacy that provides various types of personalized herbal medicines (PHMs) to other traditional Korean medicine (TKM) institutions. Such dispensaries were legalized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MoHW) in 2008 in South Korea. The purpose of this study is to understand the current status of the EHD facilities and their quality controls and compare them with the good manufacture practice (GMP) guidelines to contribute to the establishment of the safety and quality control criteria for PHMs.MethodsWe contacted 107 EHD representatives or people in charge of the preparation of PHMs (TKM pharmacists) and invited them to complete a survey questionnaire; of the total, 81 responded. The survey questionnaire was developed in 3 stages: drafting, revision by external experts, and final editing. It consisted of 20 questions covering 3 sections: basic characteristics of EHDs, facility, and quality control. The survey was hosted online from December 2017 to January 2018 as guided by the MoHW.ResultsThe completion rate was 75.7% (n = 81). In terms of facilities, the five facilities (water supply, manufacture, pest control, hygiene management and warehousing) that corresponded to the legal requirements of EHD were mostly equipped, but the types of facilities and equipment differed. Two facilities (sterilization and cross-contamination that were not legally required for EHD were found to have mostly pharmacopuncture-EHD (P-EHD), but hardly any herbal medicine-EHD (H-EHD). In our findings regarding quality control of non-medicinal herbs, sensory evaluation that included checks for foreign bodies and deterioration were conducted. In terms of the quality control of herbal medicines, residual pesticides and heavy metals tests were performed and for pharmacopuncture, pH, salinity, sterility, and endotoxin tests along with gross examination were performed. In the end, we found that 6 of the 38 standard items as required by the Korea GMP were suitable.ConclusionsIn this study, detailed information for each existing EHD law was determined through a nationwide questionnaire. Moreover, the basis for its reflection in additional legal standards should be introduced so that safe herbal medicine can be prepared in EHDs.

Dataset Information

Utilization of traditional herbal medicine formulas for unexplained female infertility in Korea: a retrospective study.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Utilization of traditional herbal medicine formulas for unexplained female infertility in Korea: a retrospective study.

Similar Datasets

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