Efficacy of Bushen Jiangu therapy in the treatment of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Abstract

Background: Glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP) is the most common secondary osteoporosis. Bushen Jiangu (BSJG), a classic traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapy, is widely used for treatment of GIOP. We conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of BSJG therapy on the treatment of GIOP. Methods: We searched randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of BSJG therapy for GIOP in 10 databases. Methodological quality assessment was performed by using the Cochrane collaboration tool. RevMan v5.3 and Stata v14.0 software were used for performing data analysis. This study was conducted and reported following the PRISMA checklist. Results: Overall, 14 RCTs with 988 participants met the inclusion criteria. Pooled results indicated that BSJG therapy contributed to a betterment in improving the clinical efficacy rate of GIOP (risk ratio [RR] = 1.22, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.14, 1.30, P