Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA最新文献

{"title":"Effectiveness of multiple mnemonic strategies for improving verbal memory in older adults.","authors":"Yu-Ruei Lin, Yu-Hsiang Cheng, Dai-Wei Lin, Yu-Chen Chuang, Hsiu-Ling Huang, Yann-Ying Hsiao, Chieh-Ning Huang, Ting-Jung Hsu, Jong-Ling Fuh","doi":"10.1097/JCMA.0000000000001228","DOIUrl":"10.1097/JCMA.0000000000001228","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Cognitive training is an evidence-based intervention for preserving memory in older adults. The effectiveness of cognitive training varies, depending on the approach used. This study examined the efficiency of cognitive training using multiple mnemonic strategies in older adults.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study adopted a pretest-posttest control group design, with all participants undergoing two neuropsychological assessments. The cognitive training program consisted of four 60-minute sessions over a month. In the interventions, participants practiced the mnemonic strategies of elaboration and self-reference. The effect of cognitive training was analyzed using both dependent and independent t tests.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mean ages were 69.7 ± 12.0 for the control group (n = 23) and 70.7 ± 5.6 for the intervention group (n = 27), with educational attainment of 11.9 ± 3.2 and 12.1 ± 3.9 years, respectively. Both groups showed an overall improvement in memory tests, but only the intervention group's learning and delayed recall aspects of the verbal memory test remained statistically significant after adjusting for multiple comparisons ( p < 0.00625).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our study demonstrates that multiple mnemonic strategy-based cognitive training effectively enhances memory function in older adults and should be regarded as an alternative intervention for older adults.</p>","PeriodicalId":94115,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA","volume":" ","pages":"375-382"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143733831","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Epidemiology and practice patterns of achalasia in Taiwan: A nationwide population-based cohort study.","authors":"Kai-Liang Lin, Wei-Yu Lin, Yen-Po Wang, Jiing-Chyuan Luo, Ming-Chih Hou, Hui-Chu Lang, Ching-Liang Lu","doi":"10.1097/JCMA.0000000000001214","DOIUrl":"10.1097/JCMA.0000000000001214","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Achalasia is a rare disease of gastrointestinal motility characterized by impaired esophageal peristalsis and reduced esophageal sphincter relaxation. However, data on its epidemiology and outcomes in Taiwan are limited. This study aimed to assess the incidence, characteristics, and clinical management of achalasia in Taiwan.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Patients who were newly diagnosed with achalasia between 2001 and 2013 were recruited from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. The study obtained data on the age, sex, urbanization, socioeconomic status, area of residence, diagnostic methods, and interventional management of the patients. Incidence, diagnostic modalities, treatment methods, malignancy, and mortality outcomes were analyzed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In total, 206 new achalasia cases were identified. The mean annual incidence in Taiwan was 1.64 (95% confidence interval, 1.22-2.05) per 100 000 persons. The mean age of the patients at diagnosis was 51.8 years. The age-specific incidence of achalasia peaked in patients aged between 70 and 80 years and above 80 years. For achalasia diagnosis, endoscopy, computed tomography (CT), barium studies, and manometry were performed in 123 (59.71%), 97 (47.09%), 49 (23.79%), and 11 patients (5.34 %), respectively. During long-term follow-up, seven patients (3.39%) developed esophageal cancer, and 39 patients (18.93%) died. The median survival was 10.65 years after achalasia diagnosis, with a 10-year survival rate of 76.22%.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This is the first population-based epidemiological study on achalasia in Taiwan, revealing the incidence of achalasia before the era of high-resolution manometry. Clinicians should be vigilant about the development of esophageal cancer and mortality during long-term follow-ups. There is also room to enhance the utilization of various diagnostic tools for achalasia.</p>","PeriodicalId":94115,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA","volume":" ","pages":"383-388"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143367162","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Insulin initiation for patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus.","authors":"Hsin-An Chen, Chia-Hung Lin, Feng-Hsuan Liu","doi":"10.1097/JCMA.0000000000001232","DOIUrl":"10.1097/JCMA.0000000000001232","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>We examined the initiation of insulin therapy in patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), analyzed their glycemic responses, and compared patient profiles based on glycemic outcomes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Patients with T2DM initiated on insulin therapy were retrospectively analyzed. Data were collected from endocrinology clinic before and 3 and 6 months after insulin initiation. The primary outcome was hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level 6 months after commencing insulin treatment. Secondary outcomes included HbA1c levels at 3 months after insulin treatment and fasting blood glucose levels at 3 and 6 months after treatment. We analyzed the effects of insulin initiation and categorized patients based on their 6-month HbA1c levels: below the median of 7.8% (better response) and above 7.8% (worse response). Additionally, we evaluated patients based on HbA1c changes at 6 months, with greater or lesser changes defined by the cohort's median change of -1.4%.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Insulin therapy significantly reduced HbA1c (from 9.8% to 8.2%) and fasting blood glucose levels (from 221.4 to 147.2 mg/dL) within 3 months. After 6 months, HbA1c and fasting blood glucose levels decreased by 2.1% (9.8%-7.7%) and 77.2 mg/dL (221.4-144.2 mg/dL), respectively. Patients who responded better to insulin treatment showed lower fasting blood glucose levels by 6 months after insulin initiation and lower HbA1c levels as soon as 3 months after initiation. Patients with higher baseline glycemic profiles experienced significantly greater HbA1c reductions at 6 months post-treatment.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Insulin therapy significantly improved glycemic control in patients with T2DM within 3 months after initiation. Patients with higher baseline glycemic profiles experienced greater responses to insulin therapy.</p>","PeriodicalId":94115,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA","volume":" ","pages":"410-414"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143733832","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cancer publications using real-world data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database: Conceptual framework and bibliometric analysis.","authors":"Wing Hin Stanford Siu, Ai Yin Lim, Jia-Rou Liu, Shu-Hao Chang, Wei-Min Chen, Pei-Ru Li, Lai-Chu See","doi":"10.1097/JCMA.0000000000001227","DOIUrl":"10.1097/JCMA.0000000000001227","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Bibliometric analysis often overlooks study-based components such as study aims, design, and statistical methods. In this study, we propose a conceptual framework incorporating these study-based components with disease-based components for the bibliometric analysis of cancer articles using real-world data. This framework is a significant step forward in cancer research. We then investigated the distribution and temporal trends of these components for cancer articles using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) published from 2006 to 2022.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Study- and disease-based components were extracted and cross-validated. The distribution and temporal trends of these components were then presented.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We analyzed 1232 articles and found a noticeable increase in the annual publication count from 2011 onward. This upward trend signified the growing momentum in cancer research. Cancer risk factors were the most studied (52%), followed by cancer outcomes (36%) and incidence/prevalence (3%). Among the publications on risk factors and outcomes, most were cohort studies (85%), followed by case-control studies (10.7%). In both study designs, the use of the propensity score method increased steadily from 2.4% in 2011 to 40% in 2022. The most frequently studied cancer site was \"all cancers or multiple cancers\" (25.6%), followed by breast (9.6%), hepatobiliary (9.2%), and colorectal cancers (8.8%). Among the top 10 cited articles, the first and fourth focused on whether suppressing hepatitis B viral load with nucleoside analogs could reduce hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence and incidence in chronic hepatitis B patients. The remaining eight examined the association between medications and cancer risk.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Beyond citation metrics, our research underscores the importance of considering study-based and disease-based components in bibliometric analysis. These components form the foundation of the real-world data cancer research framework and have practical implications for diseases beyond cancers, providing a broader perspective for researchers and practitioners.</p>","PeriodicalId":94115,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA","volume":" ","pages":"398-409"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143652912","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Air pollution causes abnormal alanine aminotransferase levels in patients with chronic hepatitis B.","authors":"Tyng-Yuan Jang, Yu-Ting Zeng, Po-Cheng Liang, Chih-Da Wu, Yu-Ju Wei, Pei-Chien Tsai, Po-Yao Hsu, Yi-Shan Tsai, Ming-Yen Hsieh, Yi-Hung Lin, Meng-Hsuan Hsieh, Chih-Wen Wang, Jeng-Fu Yang, Ming-Lun Yeh, Chung-Feng Huang, Wan-Long Chuang, Jee-Fu Huang, Batbold Batsaikhan, Chia-Yen Dai, Pau-Chung Chen, Ming-Lung Yu","doi":"10.1097/JCMA.0000000000001216","DOIUrl":"10.1097/JCMA.0000000000001216","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>To investigate the association between air pollution and abnormal alanine aminotransferase levels in patients with chronic hepatitis B treated with nucleotide/nucleoside analogs (NAs).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study enrolled 1275 patients with chronic hepatitis B treated with nucleotide/NAs from 2019 to 2022 in Kaohsiung and analyzed the incidence and risk factors for abnormal alanine aminotransferase levels. Daily air pollutant concentrations were estimated for the year before enrollment.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Abnormal alanine aminotransferase levels were observed in 1127 patients (88.4%) before treatment with nucleotide/NAs. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the strongest factor associated with abnormal alanine aminotransferase levels was the level of hepatitis B virus DNA (odds ratio/CI: 1.40/1.25-1.57; p < 0.001), followed by concentration of particulate matter ≤2.5 µm in diameter (1.05/1.02-1.08; p < 0.001) and liver cirrhosis (0.27/0.17-0.42; p < 0.001). Among patients without cirrhosis, logistic regression analysis revealed that the strongest factors associated with abnormal alanine aminotransferase levels were the level of hepatitis B virus DNA (odds ratio/CI: 1.52/1.28-1.82; p < 0.001) and concentration of particulate matter ≤2.5 µm in diameter (1.06/1.101-1.11; p = 0.01). Among patients with cirrhosis, logistic regression analysis revealed that the strongest factor associated with abnormal alanine aminotransferase levels was hepatitis B virus DNA level (odds ratio/CI: 1.28/1.12-1.48; p = 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Higher concentrations of particulate matter ≤2.5 µm in diameter caused elevated baseline alanine aminotransferase levels in patients with chronic hepatitis B receiving nucleotide/NA therapy. The impact of particulate matter ≤2.5 µm in diameter on abnormal alanine aminotransferase levels was particularly pronounced in patients without cirrhosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":94115,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA","volume":" ","pages":"361-366"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143412123","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Harness the power of artificial intelligence to generate graphical abstracts.","authors":"Feng-Yuan Yang, Tzeng-Ji Chen","doi":"10.1097/JCMA.0000000000001222","DOIUrl":"10.1097/JCMA.0000000000001222","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":94115,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA","volume":" ","pages":"341-342"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143545255","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"TwPAD registry: A prospective, multicenter registry of chronic peripheral arterial disease involving lower limbs in Taiwan.","authors":"Yueh-Hung Lin, Chung-Ho Hsu, Jen-Kuang Lee, Po-Chao Hsu, Chiu-Yang Lee, Chun-Chi Chen, Po-Wei Chen, Hsu-Ping Wu, Min-I Su, Chun-Wei Lee, Hung-I Yeh","doi":"10.1097/JCMA.0000000000001224","DOIUrl":"10.1097/JCMA.0000000000001224","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a consequence of systemic atherosclerosis, resulting in arterial narrowing and diminished blood flow, leading to complications like claudication, rest pain, ulcers, gangrene, and functional limitations. Despite its impact on cardiovascular mortality, physical function, and quality of life, PAD has received less attention than other atherosclerotic disorders. This study addresses the paucity of comprehensive clinical data on PAD in Taiwan, aiming to analyze its incidence, risk factors, pharmacological and interventional treatments, and outcomes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This prospective, multicenter, observational registry includes PAD patients from 10 medical centers or teaching hospitals across Taiwan. Data collected encompass demographic characteristics, medical history, laboratory results, and treatment history. Patients are followed up annually to monitor all-cause mortality, major clinical events (cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke), and total cardiovascular events (including hard events, unplanned revascularizations, hospitalizations for endovascular therapy, stroke, transient ischemic attacks, and heart failure).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>From September 2020 to December 2022, 1005 patients were enrolled. The mean age of the cohort was 70.3 years, with men constituting the majority (59.3%). The prevalence rates of key medical conditions were 68.2% for diabetes, 76.3% for hypertension, 72.6% for hypercholesterolemia, 40.6% for smoking, and 26.2% for end-stage renal disease. Central Taiwan patients were younger and had a higher body mass index (BMI) and prevalence of obesity, but lower rates of comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, and smoking history. In contrast, eastern Taiwan patients who were older had a lower BMI and prevalence of obesity, but exhibited higher levels of comorbidity.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The TwPAD registry provides comprehensive insights into patient characteristics, treatments, and outcomes. Regional variations in age, BMI, and comorbidity levels were noted between central and eastern Taiwan. Importantly, the registry identified gaps in adherence to guideline-directed medical therapy, particularly in statin use. Continued data collection will support improvements in PAD management nationwide.</p>","PeriodicalId":94115,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA","volume":" ","pages":"389-397"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143702507","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"While GPT-3.5 is unable to pass the Physician Licensing Exam in Taiwan, GPT-4 successfully meets the criteria.","authors":"Tsung-An Chen, Kuan-Chen Lin, Ming-Hwai Lin, Hsiao-Ting Chang, Yu-Chun Chen, Tzeng-Ji Chen","doi":"10.1097/JCMA.0000000000001225","DOIUrl":"10.1097/JCMA.0000000000001225","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>This study investigates the performance of ChatGPT-3.5 and ChatGPT-4 in answering medical questions from Taiwan's Physician Licensing Exam, ranging from basic medical knowledge to specialized clinical topics. It aims to understand these artificial intelligence (AI) models' capabilities in a non-English context, specifically traditional Chinese.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study incorporated questions from the Taiwan Physician Licensing Exam in 2022, excluding image-based queries. Each question was manually input into ChatGPT, and responses were compared with official answers from Taiwan's Ministry of Examination. Differences across specialties and question types were assessed using the Kruskal-Wallis and Fisher's exact tests.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>ChatGPT-3.5 achieved an average accuracy of 67.7% in basic medical sciences and 53.2% in clinical medicine. Meanwhile, ChatGPT-4 significantly outperformed ChatGPT-3.5, with average accuracies of 91.9% and 90.7%, respectively. ChatGPT-3.5 scored above 60.0% in seven out of 10 basic medical science subjects and three of 14 clinical subjects, while ChatGPT-4 scored above 60.0% in every subject. The type of question did not significantly affect accuracy rates.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>ChatGPT-3.5 showed proficiency in basic medical sciences but was less reliable in clinical medicine, whereas ChatGPT-4 demonstrated strong capabilities in both areas. However, their proficiency varied across different specialties. The type of question had minimal impact on performance. This study highlights the potential of AI models in medical education and non-English languages examination and the need for cautious and informed implementation in educational settings due to variability across specialties.</p>","PeriodicalId":94115,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA","volume":" ","pages":"352-360"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143627332","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and its associated health risks.","authors":"Xia-Rong Liu, Szu-Ching Yin, Yi-Ting Chen, Mei-Hsuan Lee","doi":"10.1097/JCMA.0000000000001230","DOIUrl":"10.1097/JCMA.0000000000001230","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This article synthesizes the current knowledge on the epidemiology of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), its associated risks, and its genetic determinants. The findings presented in this article can be used to develop clinical strategies to reduce MASLD's growing global burden. MASLD has become a major global health concern due to increasing rates of obesity, sedentary lifestyles, and metabolic disorders. MASLD is a leading cause of end-stage liver diseases, including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and MASLD also significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), thereby exerting dual effects on liver and cardiovascular health. MASLD was once referred to as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and this change in nomenclature reflects a growing focus on its metabolic underpinnings, facilitating the more precise diagnosis and clinical management of this disease. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that the prevalence of MASLD is increasing worldwide, although the prevalence varies across regions and populations. Noninvasive diagnostic tools such as ultrasound and fatty liver indices along with biomarkers such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT) are crucial for early detection and risk stratification. Genetic research has identified key gene variants, including PNPLA3 (rs738409) and TM6SF2 (rs58542926), that influence MASLD susceptibility and progression, and these findings have created opportunities for improving precision medicine with respect to treating MASLD. Research has revealed an association between MASLD and major adverse cardiovascular events and increased mortality, which highlights the importance of integrating cardiovascular risk management into treatment strategies for MASLD. Future research should focus on advancing noninvasive diagnostics, leveraging genetic insights to provide tailored care, and implementing population-specific interventions to address regional variations.</p>","PeriodicalId":94115,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA","volume":" ","pages":"343-351"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143702506","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of Ban-Xia-Hou-Pu-Tang and Western medicine on patients with globus sensation: A randomized controlled trial.","authors":"Hsin-Fu Yeh, Yi-Shun Chu, Shinn-Jang Hwang, Fang-Pey Chen, Yen-Ting Lu","doi":"10.1097/JCMA.0000000000001237","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/JCMA.0000000000001237","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Globus is a non-painful sensation of a lump in the throat and can affect almost half of the general population. There is a lack of a clear etiology so there is no consensus on the treatment regimen for globus. Ban-Xia-Hou-Pu-Tang (BXHPT) is a highly effective recipe for the treatment of Plum Pit Qi (), which is a condition that is described by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) texts that bears a striking resemblance to globus. This study determines the TCM constitution of patients with globus and compares the clinical efficacy of a combination of BXHPT and western medicines and western medicines alone for the treatment of the globus sensation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This is a single-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial that involves 92 patients who were diagnosed with globus pharyngeus. Patients were equally allotted to Group A (Western medicines plus BXHPT) or Group B (Western medicines plus placebo) and completed questionnaires that included a Constitution in Chinese Medicine Questionnaire (CCMQ), a Reflux Symptom Index (RSI), a Glasgow Edinburgh Throat Score (GETS), a Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and a Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II). The Reflux Finding Score (RFS) was also measured by an otolaryngologist based on the results of trans-nasal laryngoscopy. Creatinine and alanine levels transaminase were measured to ensure hepatic and renal safety.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A significant reduction in RFS, RSI, GETS, BAI, and BDI scores was observed for both groups. Differences in RFS were significant between Group A and Group B at week 2 (8.03±1.57 vs 10.12±1.75, p <0.001) and at week 4 (7.43±1.16 vs 9.17±1.80, p =0.007).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Western medicines, including fexofenadine, famotidine and acetylcysteine, alleviate the discomfort of globus and the addition of BXHPT can reduce the RFS score without hepatic or renal safety concerns.</p>","PeriodicalId":94115,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144046690","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}