A Chinese patent medicine’s long-term efficacy on non-dialysis patients with CKD stages 3–5: a retrospective cohort study

BackgroundChinese patent medicine is commonly used in China as an important treatment mechanism to thwart the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages 3–5, among which Niaoduqing granules are a representative Chinese patent medicine; however, its long-term efficacy on CKD prognosis remains unclear.MethodsPatients were grouped according to Niaoduqing granule prescription duration (non-Niaoduqing granule (non-NDQ) group vs Niaoduqing granule (NDQ) group). Serum creatinine (SCr) variation was compared using a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM). Multivariate Cox regression models were constructed, adjusting for confounding factors, to explore the risk of composite outcomes (receiving renal replacement therapy (RRT) or having an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)