Meta-analysis of the impact of traditional Chinese medicine treatment on the quality of life of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-CM improves quality of COPD patients

To evaluate the impact of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatments on the well-being of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. A systematic review was conducted using databases such as CNKI, WanFang, PubMed, Web of Science, and VIP, retrieving relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) up to October 2023. Eight RCTs were included in the analysis. Results indicated that TCM interventions significantly improved respiratory symptoms [SMD=-0.32, 95%CI (-0.51, -0.14), P<0.05], reduced activity limitations [SMD=-0.36, 95%CI (-0.67, -0.06), P<0.05], and alleviated disease-related discomfort [SMD=-0.39, 95%CI (-0.57, -0.21), P<0.05] compared to control groups. Overall quality of life also showed notable enhancement [SMD=-0.46, 95%CI (-0.64, -0.28), P<0.05]. However, no significant difference was observed in the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) between groups. The findings suggest that TCM can effectively improve life quality and symptom management in COPD patients, though further high-quality studies are needed to confirm these results.