Abstract
Background: No comprehensive meta-analysis has evaluated the efficacy and safety of the protective effect of Jiedu Tongluo Therapy on the kidney of DKD until now. This meta-analysis covers this gap in knowledge. Methods: We have conducted an extensive search of databases, including CNKI, Wanfang, PubMed, and Web of Science. The selection was based on conventional treatment, including information and education on DKD, blood glucose, hypertension control methods, and lifestyle. The control group was composed of conventional western medicine or proprietary Chinese medicine, and the experimental group was composed of Jiedu Tongluo therapy controlled trials (RCTs) between 2003 and 2023. R 4.1.0 software was used to perform statistical analysis. Results: A total of 1871 patients from 19 RCTs were analyzed. Meta-analysis results showed that the Jiedu Tongluo therapy was effective in improving clinical efficacy (OR = 2.47, 95% CI [1.94, 3.15], I (2) = 0%), and these trials were more effective in reducing Scr (MD = -19.81, 95% CI [-27.64, -11.97], p < 0.01), BUN (MD = -0.70, 95% CI [-1.13, -0.27], p < 0.01), UAER (MD = -29.97, 95% CI [-37.33, -22.61], p < 0.01), FBG (MD = -0.85, 95% CI [-1.22, -0.47], p < 0.01), and certain medication safety (OR = 0.75, 95% CI [0.27, 2.11]). Conclusions: For treating diabetic kidney disease, TCM-based Jiedu Tongluo therapy showed optimal clinical efficacy and safety. However, further rational experiments are needed to validate the above conclusions.