[Evidence map of clinical studies about treatment of hyperlipidemia with Chinese patent medicines in recent ten years]

Evidence mapping was performed to review the clinical trials and systematic reviews about the treatment of hyperlipidemia with Chinese patent medicines in recent ten years. A total of 387 clinical studies and 18 systematic reviews/Meta-analysis involving 45 Chinese patent medicines commonly used in the treatment of hyperlipidemia in recent ten years were retrieved from Chinese and English academic publication databases. The article information was extracted by reading the abstract and full text, and the evidence of publication trend, combined medication, intervention course, complications, and outcome indicators was sorted out. The Cochrane risk-of-bias assessment tool was used to evaluate the quality of some randomized controlled trial(RCT), and the research results were presented by figures combined with tables. The Chinese patent medicines mostly mentioned included Xuezhikang Capsules, Yindan Xinnaotong Capsules, Hedan Tablets, Pushen Capsules, and Compound Danshen Dropping Pills. The outcome indicators included blood lipid levels(total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, etc.), clinical efficacy(markedly effective, effective, and ineffective), adverse reactions(mainly including gastrointestinal reactions), hemorheological indicators, and liver and kidney functions. The available studies generally had small sample sizes, short period, and insufficient attention to traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) syndromes. The RCT and systematic reviews/Meta-analysis generally had low quality, and thus the results had low reliability. Nevertheless, the studies demonstrated a heightened focus on adverse reactions, diverse combined intervention measures, and varied options for addressing different complications. It is recommended that the clinical research on Chinese patent medicines for hyperlipidemia should strive to improve research quality, standardize research protocols, and devote greater attention to TCM syndromes, thereby enhancing the influence and effectiveness of these medicines.