Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Daegu Haany University, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Republic of Korea.
Department of Korean Pediatrics, College of Korean Medicine Kyung Hee University, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Medicine (Baltimore). 2023 Mar 10;102(10):e33193. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000033193.
Herbal medicines have been used for a long time to treat idiopathic short stature (ISS) in children in East Asian countries. The aim of this study was to analyze the cost-effectiveness of 5 herbal medicines frequently used in clinical settings for children with ISS based on medical records.
Patients with ISS who had been prescribed a 60-day supply of herbal medicines in 1 Korean medicine hospital were included in this analysis. Their height and height percentile were measured before and after treatment within 6-months. The average cost-effectiveness ratios (ACERs) of 5 herbal medicines for height (cm) and height percentile were calculated for boys and girls, respectively.
The ACERs per 1 cm height growth were USD 56.2 (Naesohwajung-Tang), USD 74.8 (Ogapi-Growth decoction), USD 86.6 (Gamcho-Growth decoction), USD 94.6 (Gwakhyangjeonggi-San plus Yukmijihwang-Tang), and USD 113.8 (Boyang-Growth decoction). The ACERs per 1 percentile height growth were USD 205 (Naesohwajung-Tang), USD 293 (Ogapi-Growth decoction), USD 470 (Gamcho-Growth decoction), USD 949 (Boyang-Growth decoction), and USD 1051 (Gwakhyangjeonggi-San plus Yukmijihwang-Tang).
Herbal medicine might be a potential economical alternative treatment for ISS.
在东亚国家，草药已被长期用于治疗儿童特发性身材矮小症（ISS）。本研究旨在根据病历分析 5 种常用于临床治疗 ISS 儿童的草药的成本效益。
本分析纳入了在 1 家韩医院接受 60 天草药治疗的 ISS 患者。在 6 个月内，他们在治疗前后的身高和身高百分位均进行了测量。分别计算了 5 种草药对男孩和女孩身高（cm）和身高百分位的平均成本效益比（ACER）。
身高每增长 1cm 的 ACER 分别为 56.2 美元（奶儿汤）、74.8 美元（大长今汤）、86.6 美元（甘草成长汤）、94.6 美元（加味八珍汤加六味地黄汤）和 113.8 美元（男孩成长汤）。身高百分位每增长 1%的 ACER 分别为 205 美元（奶儿汤）、293 美元（大长今汤）、470 美元（甘草成长汤）、949 美元（加味八珍汤加六味地黄汤）和 1051 美元（加味八珍汤加六味地黄汤）。
草药可能是 ISS 的一种有潜力的经济替代治疗方法。
