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Background: The symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) such as hyposmia, rhinorrhea, nasal obstruction, and cough are similar to those of chronic allergic rhinitis (AR). Such symptoms can easily lead AR patients to unnecessary anxiety, misdiagnosis, and invasive diagnostic tests in the COVID-19 pandemic. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is an important mediator for chronic AR and plays a crucial role in the inflammation of COVID-19. Houttuynia cordata (HC) has been shown to reduce nasal congestion and swelling by suppressing the activation of IL-6 and is used to fight COVID-19. A novel HC-based Chinese herbal formula, Zheng-Yi-Fang (ZYF), was developed to test effects on nasal symptoms of patients with AR in the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Participants aged between 20 and 60 years with at least a 2-year history of moderate to severe perennial AR were enrolled. Eligible participants were randomly allocated to either the intervention group (taking ZYF) or the control group (using regular western medicine) for 4 weeks. The Chinese version of the Rhinosinusitis Outcome Measures was used to evaluate impacts on quality of life and nasal symptoms of participants with AR. In addition, the effect of ZYF on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced IL-6 was investigated. Results: Participants with AR taking ZYF improved their symptoms of nasal obstruction, nasal secretion, hyposmia, and postnasal drip in comparison with those of the control group. Meanwhile, ZYF exhibited inhibition of IL-6 secretion in the LPS-induced inflammatory model. Conclusion: ZYF has potential effects to relieve nasal symptoms for AR during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) can affect quality of life and cause various complications. Previous studies have suggested that Chinese herbal medicine can alleviate symptoms in patients with BPH. This study aimed to investigate whether the Chinese herbal medicine prescription VGH-BPH1 can alleviate BPH symptoms when used as an add-on treatment. Methods: In this crossover, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, patients with BPH were randomly segregated into two groups: group A received VGH-BPH1, and group B received a placebo for 8 weeks. Subsequently, after a 2-week wash-out period, the two groups were switched to the opposite treatment for another 8 weeks. The International Prostate Symptoms Score and Aging Male Symptoms Score were adopted as the primary outcomes to assess improvement in BPH and patient quality of life. The secondary outcomes were the International Index of Erectile Function, Constitution Chinese Medicine Questionnaire, uroflowmetry results, and postvoid residual urine volume. Results: VGH-BPH1 treatment significantly decreased the International Prostate Symptoms Score total score (p = 0.027); however, no significant difference was observed between the treatment and placebo groups. The Aging Male Symptoms Score "joint pain and muscular ache" score in the VGH-BPH1 group was significantly lower than that of the placebo group (p = 0.022). The "physical exhaustion" score also exhibited a decreasing trend when both groups were compared (p = 0.057). Conclusion: Although VGH-BPH1 treatment did not outperform the placebo in terms of improving BPH symptoms, it resulted in improvement in several quality of life indicators when relative to the placebo. Future research using a larger sample size with appropriate amendments to the protocol should be conducted to further investigate the effects of VGH-BPH1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The current Western medicine treatment options for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) have various degrees of documented effectiveness. However, the uses of these interventions are limited to specific patient populations or have certain side effects that interfere with patient quality of life. This study evaluated the clinical effects of a Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) on patients with BPH. Methods: This was a single-arm pilot study. Twenty BPH patients were enrolled, and they were required to take the investigated CHM three times a day for 8 weeks, along with their Western medicine. Patients returned to clinics as scheduled and completing international prostate symptoms scores (IPSS), aging male symptoms score, international index of erectile function, and body constitution questionnaire of traditional Chinese medicine. Uroflowmetry and sonography were also applied to evaluate the changes in urinary velocity and post-voiding residual urine volume from the baseline to the end of the study. Results: The mean IPSS total score was significantly decreased by 2.5 points after 8 weeks of treatment with the CHM (from 17.5 to 15.0, p = 0.03). The mean IPSS voiding subscore was decreased by 1.7 points (from 10.1 to 8.4, p = 0.02), and the mean incomplete emptying subscore was decreased by 0.8 points (from 2.9 to 2.1, p = 0.02), with both decreases being statistically significant. A descending trend in the post-voiding residual urine volume was also observed (from 52.9 to 30.8 mL, p = 0.07). Conclusion: This trial indicated that the add-on CHM treatment (VGHBPH0) might be a potential treatment for improving the lower urinary tract symptoms of BPH patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]