Efficacy of N-acetylcysteine plus pirfenidone in the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Numerous studies have demonstrated the potential of pirfenidone to enhance the prognosis of patients afflicted with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Although N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is utilized as an antioxidant in IPF treatment, the combination of NAC and pirfenidone has produced inconsistent outcomes in certain studies. To assess the clinical effectiveness and safety of NAC plus pirfenidone (designated as the treatment group) versus pirfenidone monotherapy (designated as the control group), we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Methods

RCTs of NAC plus pirfenidone were reviewed searching from databases and networks of unpublished and published studies in any language. Using pair-wise meta-analysis, changes

SUBMITTER: Zhang XL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10685588 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature