Effects of adjuvant berberine therapy on acute ischemic stroke: A meta-analysis

source extracted confidence: high 2026-04-09
#humans #ischemic-stroke #berberine #carotid-intima-media-thickness #triglycerides

Effects of adjuvant berberine therapy on acute ischemic stroke: A meta-analysis

Luo et al., 2023 | Phytother Res | Meta Analysis

Citation

Luo Dan, Yu Baili, ... Shi Shihua. Effects of adjuvant berberine therapy on acute ischemic stroke: A meta-analysis. Phytother Res. 2023-Sep;37(9):3820-3838. doi:10.1002/ptr.7920

Abstract

We conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the clinical efficacy of berberine (BBR) in treating acute ischemic stroke (AIS), explore its anti-inflammatory effects, and assess its potential applications for AIS patients. We comprehensively searched nine databases from inception until July 1, 2022, to identify clinical trials investigating the use of BBR in treating AIS. We performed statistical analyses using RevMan5.4 software and focused on primary outcomes such as inflammatory markers as well as secondary outcomes including immune system indicators, relevant biomarkers, carotid artery atherosclerosis, and adverse reactions. Our analysis included data from 17 clinical trials involving 1670 patients with AIS. Our results revealed that BBR in combination with conventional treatment significantly reduced levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), complement C3, hypoxic inducible factor-1 α (HIF-1α), cysteine protease-3 (Caspase-3), the national institutes of health stroke scale (NIHSS), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), the number of unstable plaques, and carotid crouse score on ultrasound when compared with conventional treatment alone. Furthermore, combining BBR with conventional treatment may improve the overall effective rate. Therefore, our findings suggest that BBR can be used as an adjuvant therapy for AIS due to its ability to reduce inflammatory cytokine levels, providing a novel therapeutic option for AIS. However, larger randomized controlled trials are necessary to confirm these results.

Key Findings

However, larger randomized controlled trials are necessary to confirm these results.

Outcomes Measured

  • C-reactive protein
  • inflammatory markers

Population

Field Value
Population ais
Sample Size 1670
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Humans
  • Ischemic Stroke
  • Berberine
  • Carotid Intima-Media Thickness
  • Triglycerides
  • Atherosclerosis
  • Stroke

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Meta-Analysis, Journal Article, Review
  • Vertical: berberine

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09