A pilot study of the multiherb Kampo medicine bakumondoto for cough in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Mukaida Kenichi

Hattori Noboru

Kondo Keiichi

Morita Naoki

Murakami Isao

Haruta Yoshihiro

Yokoyama Akihito

Kohno Nobuoki

Phytomedicine

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of bakumondoto. Kampo medicine, on cough in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Design: A 16-week, randomized, open-labeled, cross-over design.
Setting: Outpatient clinics at one university hospital and two general hospitals in Japan from May 2007 to March 2009.
Participants: Twenty-four elderly patients (14 men and 9 women aged over 65) with COPD.
Intervention: Treatment with or without bakumondoto for 8 weeks in a cross-over design.
Measurements: The primary outcome measurements were the frequency and intensity of cough assessed by a visual analogue scale (VAS) and a daily cough diary. Secondary outcome measurements were quality of life (QOL) assessed using St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and lung functions measured using spirometry.
Results: Treatment with bakumondoto significantly improved cough severity during the first treatment period (week 0 vs. week 8, p = 0.004) and showed a trend to decrease during the second treatment period (week 8 vs. week16, p=0.129) assessed by the VAS. Neither QOL nor lung function was affected by the treatment with bakumondoto.
Conclusion: Bakumondoto may be effective in suppressing cough in elderly patients with COPD. To further confirm the efficacy, a larger and placebo-controlled study with objective cough assessment is necessary.

Bakumondoto

Multiherb Kampo medicine

Pilot study

Cough

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Medical sciences [ 490 ]

eng

Elsevier GmbH - Urban & Fischer Verlag

(c) 2010 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

[ISSN] 0944-7113

[DOI] 10.1016/j.phymed.2010.11.006

[NCID] AA11016697

[DOI] http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2010.11.006