Association between the subsequent benign prostate hyperplasia-related surgery risk and patients treated with Chinese herbal medicine: a population-based Taiwanese cohort study
摘要
The association of Chinese herbal medicines (CHM) with the decreased risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)-related surgery in patients with BPH is limited by the small sample size and short follow-up. We try to address this association in a large national sample using 21 years of data.
MethodsA random sample composed of two million beneficiaries with newly diagnosed BPH between 2001 and 2016, followed until 2021 in Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database was analyzed with a multivariate Cox proportional-hazards model. After 1:1 propensity score matching by baseline comorbidities, age, and the index year, a total of 11,172 patients were assigned to the CHM group (CHM + Western medicine) and 11,172 patients were assigned to the non-CHM group (Western medicine only). The occurrence of BPH-related surgery during the follow-up period was the primary outcome. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the cumulative incidence of BPH-related surgery in patients with BPH, both those who received CHM treatment and those who did not.
ResultsDuring the study period, 875 CHM users and 870 CHM non-users underwent BPH-related surgery, resulting in surgery incidence rates of 6.89 and 7.26 per 1,000 person-years, respectively. Significantly fewer CHM users than CHM non-users received BPH-related surgery (adjusted HR = 0.89; 95% CI = 0.81, 0.98). A significantly lower risk was observed in those treated with CHM for more than 12 months. Dan Shen and Ji-Sheng-Shen-Qi-Wan were the most commonly prescribed single herb and CHM formula, respectively.
ConclusionsOur study demonstrated that CHM may reduce the long-term risk of BPH-related surgery. Co-treatment with CHM reduced the risk of BPH-related surgery, especially in patients using CHM for over a year.