Ma-Huang-Fu-Zi-Xi-Xin Decoction for Allergic Rhinitis: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND: The treatment effects and safety of Ma-Huang-Fu-Zi-Xi-Xin decoction for patients with allergic rhinitis have yet to be clarified. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects and safety of Ma-Huang-Fu-Zi-Xi-Xin decoction in patients with allergic rhinitis. METHODS: We searched PubMed, EMBASE (Excerpta Medical Database), Cochrane Library, Chinese Cochrane Centre's Controlled Trials Register Platform, Wanfang Chinese Digital Periodical and Conference Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) Database, and VIP Chinese Science and Technique Journals Database to collect randomized controlled trials of Ma-Huang-Fu-Zi-Xi-Xin decoction (MHFZXXD) for allergic rhinitis (AR) prior to May 8, 2017. RevMan 5.3 software was used to conduct a meta-analysis. GRADE methodology was applied to evaluate the evidence quality for each outcome. RESULTS: Six randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 576 participants (10–78 years old) were included. A meta-analysis revealed that the overall effect of MHFZXXD for AR was not better than western medical treatment (RR: 0.41; 95% CI: 0.26–0.65; P = 0.0001) for all included studies. However, the evidence quality of these western medical intervention studies was low or very low due to a high risk of bias, small sample sizes, and poor-quality design.