Haikun Shenxi Capsule for Improving Renal Function in Patients with Chronic Kidney Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Abstract

ABSTRACT Haikun Shenxi capsule was widely used for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages 3–5. This study aimed to systematically evaluate the efficacy and adverse effects of the Haikun Shenxi capsule in the treatment of patients with CKD stages 3–5 (nondialysis-dependent) and provide a reference for clinical application. The Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Database, Chongqing VIP Database, and SinoMed Database were searched for randomized-controlled trials applying Haikun Shenxi capsule to treat CKD from their inception date to February 2022. Data extraction and quality assessment were assigned to two researchers, respectively. The risk of bias was assessed by the Cochrane handbook, and Revman5.3 was used for data statistics and analysis. Heterogeneity tests were conducted, and the mean difference (MD) or relative risk (RR) with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of the outcomes was presented. Eight randomized controlled trials with 522 patients diagnosed with CKD stages 3–5 (nondialysis-dependent) treated with Haikun Shenxi capsules were included. Compared with the control group, the Haikun Shenxi capsule group showed lower levels of serum creatinine (Scr; MD = −61.14, 95% CI = −68.13 to −54.16, P < 0.00001) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN; MD = −4.21, 95% CI = −5.59 to −2.84, P < 0.00001) and higher creatinine clearance (Ccr; MD = 3.94, 95% CI = 1.47 to 6.42, P = 0.002). No drug-related adverse effects of Haikun Shenxi were found in these studies. The Haikun Shenxi capsule could reduce Scr and BUN levels and increase the Ccr level, thereby improving renal functions of CKD stages 3–5 (nondialysis-dependent) patients without drug-related adverse effects based on conventional therapy.