• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.555-563
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• 2017

Objectives: This case report describes a patient who had suffered a stroke and who was treated for a long period with herbal medicine in combination with a Western medicine. Methods: Changes in liver function and renal function laboratory tests were measured while the patient took herbal medicine during the 1190 days of hospitalization. Results: During the hospitalization period, the liver function test (LFT) levels were elevated two fold, but after taking the herbal medicine, the LFT levels were stabilized and have remained stable since. Conclusions: The high risk of prescribing herbal medicine by an unlicensed person and the possibility of long-term herbal medicine usage for stabilizing liver function test were shown.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.300-305
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• 2004

Background : Due to increased interest in herbal medicines is recent years, medical circles have made studies of toxicity and side effects of herbal medicines. Particularly the kidney is sensitive to toxicity. A few reports concerning the side effects and toxicity of herbal medicine have been presented recently. This has bought on some distrust in herbal medicines among patients and western doctors. Objectives : The purpose of this study is to determine what effects long-term prescription of one herbal medicine may have on renal function. Methods : Nineteen patients took herbal medicine for eight weeks. Tests of their Blood Urea Nitrogen(BUN), Creatinine of blood plasma, and urine (chemical and microscopic) were taken before taking medicine and at the 2nd, 4th, 8th weeks. Results : After taking a herbal medicine, BUN and Creatinine decreased significantly or remained the same in comparison with the prior interval. Chemical and microscopic examination of urine showed no changes. Conclusions : The results suggest that taking this herbal medicine for a long time does not induce nephrotixicity. Further study is needed for investigating safety and toxicity of herbal medicines.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.494-497
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• 2006

A child with five delay, five ankylosis, five weakening needs to take herbal medicine for a long term. So safety, efficacy inspection for the long term usage of herbal medicine and mixed dose is needed because other medication or functional health foods, etc could be taken during this process. Operated liver function test before and after dosing herbal medicine to one hundred and sixty children who aided private oriental medicine located in Seoul, and measured the efficacy by comparing sleeping hours, morbidity, stamina, sanguineness, personality, digestion with the state before taking herbal medicine based on questionnaire done by the parents. Every children were under the limits, and there were no differences between boys and girls, and no notable differences according to family histories. There were positive results in efficacy inspection ordered as improvement in personality, stamina, sanguineness, decrease in morbidity, increase in appetite, digestion. No signs of disorder in liver function has been found during the dose of herbal medicine or simultaneous medicine, and shown promotion of health.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.458-469
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• 2015

Objectives: Buja and Cheono, containing aconitine known for its cardiotoxicity, are not commonly prescribed, but they are necessary for some clinical conditions. Hence, consequences for electrocardiography (EKG) after short- and long-term dosage of herbal medicine including Buja and Cheono are here reported.Methods: From September 2014 to April 2015, 36 patients belonging to the sixth internal medicine department of the Dong Eui Oriental Medicine Hospital took herbal medicine including Buja and Cheono, and after these doses, they underwent an EKG. Thirty-one patients who took the medicine for 7-8 days comprised the short-term group, and 18 patients taking the medicine for 17-106 days comprised the long-term group. The results of the EKGs for each group, before and after dosage with herbal medicine, are compared.Results: No significant changes in EKG appeared in either the short- or the long-term group after taking herbal medicine including Buja and Cheono.Conclusions: If Buja or Cheono are prescribed along with other suitable herbs by a doctor of Korean medicine, no cardiac trouble will occur on an EKG regardless of the term of the dosage.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.47-54
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• 2006

One of the main attractions of treatment with herbal medicine is its apparent lack of side effects compared with the drug therapies used in allopathic medicine. However, evidence from various countries suggest that Asian herbal medicine carry a significant risk of contamination with toxic heavy metals at levels that may seriously threaten health. The aims of this study were to analyze and compare concentrations of heavy metals in urine and hair from 184 patients taking herbal medicines in the form of decoctions and/or pills in comparison to 101 control subjects taking either Western or no medications. Levels of metal concentrations exceeding WHO reference values were observed in a number of hair and urine samples for all subjects. After adjusting for potential confounders, taking decoctions or pills was associated with higher levels of some metals (such as Cu, Pb in urine), as well a higher odds ratio of exceeding the upper limit of reference ranges for Pb, Hg in hair. In contrast, taking decoctions or pills was associated with lower levels of some metals (such as Cu in urine and Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb in hair), suggesting that some herbal medicines may have a chelating effect on heavy metals in the body. Overall, the results obtained in the study show a mixed picture and suggest that heavy metals contamination in herbs is sometimes present, but may also be counteracted by the potential for some herbal medicines to act as chelating agents. Further study must be followed to obtain more concrete evidence.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.141-149
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• 2010

A concern of safety issue for traditional herbal medicine is the possibility of some herbs containing heavy metals responsible for several cases of metal poisoning. In our previous study, the physiological levels of heavy metals, such as Cd, Cu, Hg and Pb, were examined to evaluate a potential risk in patients taking herbal medicine. In this study, the levels of 12 heavy metals, including non-metallic element, Se, were analyzed in hair and compared to the results from the previous study. In the previous study, the levels of Cd, Cu, Hg and Pb in hair showed a significantly lower odds ratio than 1. In this study, however, all metals did not show any significant odds ratio higher or lower than 1 even if 5 of 12 metals showed lower odds ratio than 1. In addition, the levels of metal concentrations, especially for Cu, Fe, Pb and Zn, exceeding the WHO reference values were observed in hair. However, any evidence for metal accumulation in hair caused by taking herbal medicines for long duration was not observed in analysis of multiple regression and odds ratio from case-control study. This result would show another possibility for a role of herbs as a non-enzymatic chelator inhibiting the gastrointestinal absorption of heavy metals.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.1066-1077
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• 2020

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of herbal medicine on blood glucose in diabetic patients. Methods: The subjects were patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) who had been admitted to Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital for more than 8 weeks for a primary diagnosis other than DM and who had taken herbal medicine for more than 8 weeks from January 2010 to February 2020. The medical records were analyzed retrospectively to confirm the characteristics of the subjects, and examination results included hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine. Changes in HbA1c before and after taking herbal medicine and changes according to subgroups were analyzed. Results: A total of 149 subjects with type 2 DM were selected as participants. After taking the herbal medicine, the HbA1c value was significantly decreased, and the statistical significance was maintained even when the effect of controlling antidiabetic agents was excluded. The decrease in HbA1c was higher in the poor glycemic control group. Liver and kidney functions did not show any significant changes after taking the herbal medicine. Conclusions: Administration of herbal medicine for a long period of 8 weeks or longer did not increase HbA1c in patients with DM complicated by other various diseases.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.165-175
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• 2021

Background: Many herbal medications have been used to treat various liver diseases. But the concerns of herbal medicine induced liver injury also existed. In this respect, we would like to report several cases with imporved elevated liver aminotransferase after treating herbal medicine including Artemisia capillaris. Case Reports: We report four patients with elevated aminotransferase levels (ATLs), which indicate hepatocellular damages. After receiving herbal medicines therapy containing Artemisia capillaris as principal component (HMA), the patients' ATLs were improved. In the first case, the patient's ATLs decreased into normal range after administration of HMA, although they have not been improved with hepatotonics for a long period. In the second case, the patient's ATLs have been elevated after taking anticoagulants. The ATLs were improved with HMA without stopping anticoagulants. In the other two cases, the patients' ATLs were also improved after taking HMA. In addition, there were no changes of previous drugs for treating the corresponding underlying diseases and no adverse events during HMA applications. Result and Conclusion: The four patients received the herbal medicine containing Artemisia capillaris as principal component and showed improvement of ATLs. These cases suggest that HMA can be considered as alternative or complementary remedies to improve various liver diseases.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.74-81
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• 2017

Objectives The purpose of this study is to report the case of precocious puberty in two children treated by taking herbal medicine. Methods Two patients diagnosed with precocious puberty were prescribed Jogyeongseongjang-tang and were observed the effect of treatment on height, body weight, body composition, sex hormone test. Results During the treatment period, rapid progression of puberty was inhibited, and slow changes in sex hormones and steady growth were achieved. Conclusions This study showed the long-term effects of herbal medicine in treating precocious puberty, but further studies should be conducted for scientific validation.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.144-158
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• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to report the effect of Korean medical treatment in case of germ cell tumor patient treated by chemotherapy. Methods: The patient was treated with Korean medical treatment (herbal medicine, acupuncture) for 11 months. By taking computed tomography and laboratory testing, we could compare before and after. Results: The patient treated with combination of Korean medical treatment and Chemotherapy recovered after taking Korean medicine for 11 months. Panax ginseng, C.A. Meyer, Astragalus membranaceus, Rhus Verniciflua Stokes were main ingredient of the korean medical treatment. Conclusions: This report shows the Korean medical treatment is effective on Germ cell tumor patient. Korean medical treatment alleviates the side-effect of Chemotherapy such as nausea, vomiting, hot flush and anorexia. Also Blood test results prove long-term use of Korean medicine is safe for lung and kidney function.