Prescription of Radix Salvia miltiorrhiza in Taiwan: A Population-Based Study Using the National Health Insurance Research Database

Ying-Jung Tseng; Yu-Chiang Hung; Chun-En Kuo; Chia-Jung Chung; Chung Y Hsu; Chih-Hsin Muo; Sheng-Feng Hsu; Wen-Long Hu

doi:10.3389/fphar.2021.719519

Prescription of Radix Salvia miltiorrhiza in Taiwan: A Population-Based Study Using the National Health Insurance Research Database

Front Pharmacol. 2021 Jul 29:12:719519. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2021.719519. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Ying-Jung Tseng^{1

2}, Yu-Chiang Hung¹, Chun-En Kuo^{1

2}, Chia-Jung Chung¹, Chung Y Hsu³, Chih-Hsin Muo^{4

5}, Sheng-Feng Hsu^{6

7}, Wen-Long Hu^{1

8

9}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chinese Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
² Department of Nursing, Meiho University, Pingtung, Taiwan.
³ College of Medicine, Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
⁴ Management Office for Health Data, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
⁵ College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
⁶ Graduate Institute of Acupuncture Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
⁷ Department of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁸ College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
⁹ Fooyin University College of Nursing, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

Abstract

Objective: While radix Salvia miltiorrhiza (Danshen; RSM) is commonly used in Chinese herbal medicine, its current usage has not yet been analyzed in a large-scale survey. This study aimed to investigate the conditions for which RSM is prescribed and the utilization of RSM in Taiwan. Methods: 1 million beneficiaries enrolled in the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database were sampled to identify patients who were prescribed RSM. Next, the diagnoses of these patients based on the International Classification of Diseases 9th Revision Clinical Modification code were analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was employed to estimate the odds ratio (OR) for RSM utilization. Results: Patients with disorders of menstruation and abnormal bleeding from the female genital tract due to other causes were the diagnostic group most commonly treated with RSM (9.48%), followed by those with general (9.46%) and cardiovascular symptoms (4.18%). Subjects treated with RSM were mostly aged 35-49 years (30.1%). The most common combination of diseases for which RSM was prescribed (0.17%) included menopausal disorders and general symptoms. Women were more likely to receive RSM than men (OR = 1.75, 95% confidence interval = 1.73-1.78). RSM was frequently combined with Yan-Hu-Suo and Jia-Wei-Xiao-Yao-San for clinical use. Conclusion: To date, this is the first study to identify the most common conditions for which RSM is used in modern Taiwan. The results indicate RSM as a key medicinal herb for the treatment of gynecological diseases, including menstrual disorders, female genital pain, menopausal disorders, etc. The most common combination for which RSM is prescribed is menopausal disorders and general symptoms. Further research is needed to elucidate the optimal dosage, efficacy, and safety of RSM.

Keywords: chinese herbal product; danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza); national health insurance research database; pharmacoepidemiology; radix Salvia miltiorrhiza; traditional chinese medicine.