Background
Postprandial distress syndrome is traditionally regarded as the "Wei-Pi" syndrome in Chinese medicine (CM). Banxia Xiexin decoction (BXD) is one of the empirical treatment. The current study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a modified BXD in the management of "Wei-Pi" syndrome.
Methods
88 patients with "Wei-Pi" syndrome were randomized into the BXD or waitlist control groups in a ratio of 1:1. The patients in the BXD group received the semi-individualized BXD on the basis of the syndrome differentiation in CM for three weeks and were under follow-up for further three weeks. Patients in waitlist control group received the same BXD intervention and follow-up after a three-week waiting period. The primary outcome was the variation in the scores pertaining to the global scale of the Quality of Life Questionnaire for Functional Digestive Disorders (FDDQL) after three weeks. The secondary outcomes included the variations in the scores pertaining to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the EuroQoL 5-dimension 5-level questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L), and the results of the liver and kidney function tests.
Results
Compared to the waitlist group, the total score, activity score, diet score, discomfort score, and coping with disease score in the FDDQL of BXD group at week 3 was significantly improved. Also the depression score in HADS was significantly improved in the BXD group, but not the anxiety score. BXD significantly improved the visual analogue scale (VAS) of EQ-5D-5L.
The BXD and delayed BXD from the waitlist group had significant improved total score of FDDQL at week 3 and 6 compared to week 0. BXD had significantly improved the score of HADS and EQ-5D-5L at week 3 and 6 compared to week 0, but not the delayed BXD group.
Conclusion
BXD significantly improves the quality of life of the patients of "Wei-Pi" syndrome.
