Influence of Prescribed Herbal and Western Medicine on Patients with Abnormal Liver Function Tests: A Retrospective Quasi-experimental Study

(6) Journal of Pharmacopuncture, Vol.15, No.1, pp.34∼39, 2012

Influence of Prescribed Herbal and Western Medicine on Patients with Abnormal Liver Function Tests: A Retrospective Quasi-experimental Study

Ah-Ram Lee, Je-Min Yim, Won-Il Kim

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the safety and the efficacy of using Korean herbal, western and combination medicine in patients with abnormal liver function tests.

Methods: We investigated nerve disease patients with abnormal liver function tests who were treated with Korean herbal, western and combination medicine at Dong-Eui University Oriental Hospital from January 2011 to August 2011. We compared aspartic aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and total bilirubin (T-bil) levels before and after taking medicine and excluded patients who had liver-related diseases when admitted.

Results: ASTand ALT were decreased significantly in patients who had taken herbal and western medicine. AST, ALT and ALP were decreased significantly in patients who had taken combination medicine. Compare to herbal medicine, AST, ALT and ALP were decreased significantly in patients who had taken western medicine, and s/b ALT and ALP were decreased significantly in patients who had taken combination medicine. There were no significant differences between western and combination medicine.

Conclusions: This study suggests that prescribed Korean herbal medicine, at least, does not injure liver function; moreover, it was shown to be effective in patients with abnormal liver function tests.

Key Words: drug induced; herbal medicine; liver function tests; liver injury