Best Available Evidence in Cochrane Reviews on Herbal Medicine?

Table 2

The eleven most relevant Cochrane reviews on herbal medicines extracted for confirmatory study design, ITT analysis, study duration, outcome measures, and numbers of different study medications.

Reference	No. of; studies	Confirmatory; studies	ITT; analysis	Study; duration	Outcome measures		No. of study; medications
					Primary	Secondary
[3] (5/2011); Irritable bowel syndrome	𝑛=75	𝑛=3; Not stated if; hypothesis; clinically relevant	𝑛=3	9 days to 18 wks	Global improvement; of symptoms; Quality of life	No. of recurrent episodes; Predominant symptom; Cost-effectiveness; Adverse events	𝑛=71
[4] (9/2012); Advanced colon cancer	𝑛=20	𝑛=0	𝑛=0	7–126 days; Mean; 54 days	Mortality**	Survival time; Relative response	𝑛=16; Oral 𝑛=11; Injection 𝑛=5
[5] (4/2006); Low back pain	𝑛=10	𝑛=4	𝑛=7	Mean; 3.5 weeks	Pain intensity, function; Overall improvement; Return to work		𝑛=6; Oral 𝑛=3; External 𝑛=3
[6] (1/2009); Type 2 diabetes	𝑛=66	𝑛=1; Not stated if; hypothesis; clinically relevant	𝑛=1	2–6 months; Mean; 2.6 months	Mortality*; Diabetic complications*; Quality of life*	Fasting glucose, HbA1C; BMI; Fasting insulin; AEs and costs	𝑛=69; Oral 𝑛=68; Injection 𝑛=1
[7] (10/2005); Schizophrenia	𝑛=7	𝑛=0	𝑛=0	20 days–6 months	Clinical response; subscores	Various	𝑛=5
[8] (5/2012); Threatened Miscarriage	𝑛=44	𝑛=0	No dropouts; reported in; any study	Not stated; in all	Continuation of; pregnancy after; 28 wks of gestation	During treatment; After treatment; Foetus	𝑛=25
[9] (1/2010); Chronic neck pain	𝑛=4	𝑛=0	𝑛=2	4 wks	Pain (VAS); Functional status; Patient satisfaction	Neurologic outcomes; Adverse events	𝑛=3
[10] (4/2006); Pre-eclampsia	𝑛=0	—	—	—	Maternal: for example, death; Neonatal: for example, death	Various	—
[11] (11/2010); Primary dysmenorrhea	𝑛=39	𝑛=0	𝑛=0	Up to; 6 cycles; Approx. 6 months	Menstrual pain; Menstruation-related; symptoms, AEs	Laboratory values; Additional medications; Satisfaction	𝑛=39; Oral 𝑛=34; External 𝑛=3; Rectal 𝑛=1; Sublingual 𝑛=1
[12] (6/2011); Diabetic neuropathy	𝑛=39	𝑛=0	𝑛=0	At least; 4 wks	30% improvement in; global score (e.g., VAS)	Quality of life; Nerve conduction; AEs	𝑛=30; Oral 𝑛=26; Injection 𝑛=3; Either or 𝑛=1
[13] (8/2011); Hyper; cholesterolaemia	𝑛=22	𝑛=1	𝑛=1	Mean; 2.3 months	Cardiovascular event; Serum cholesterol	Death, quality of life; Serum triglycerides,; BMI, AEs, and so forth	𝑛=5

*In case of 5-year studies; **disease-related death/total recruited patients × 100%.