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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article

Front. Med.
Sec. Hematology
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1417041

Applications of leech therapy in medicine: A systematic review

Provisionally accepted
Mahsa Hosseini Mahsa Hosseini 1Ali Jadidi Ali Jadidi 1*Mohammad Moein Derakhshan Barjoe Mohammad Moein Derakhshan Barjoe 2Mehdi Salehi Mehdi Salehi 1
  • 1 Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Markazi, Iran
  • 2 Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, Yazd, Yazd, Iran

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Leech therapy is one of the most widely used treatment methods in traditional medicine. The present study aimed to systematically review clinical trials regarding the effect of Leech therapy on the prevention and healing of different diseases.To identify all relevant published studies, we conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases, without any temporal or geographical constraints, until April 2023. To categorize the articles, five stages were considered. The PRISMA checklist and Cochran's bias analysis tool were used.In total, 12 trials that met the inclusion criteria were studied. The results of the studies showed that Leech therapy has had successful results in treating different conditions. These included hormonal and metabolic complications, cardiovascular problems, and inflammatorybased diseases.Conclusion "Leech therapy" is a traditional medical treatment used successfully to control and treat various conditions. Although this method can have complications, it is possible to benefit from this low-cost and low-complication treatment by taking preventive measures.

    Keywords: Leach therapy, Clinical Trial, Systematic review, Hirudotherapy, Complementary medicine

    Received: 13 Apr 2024; Accepted: 26 Aug 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Hosseini, Jadidi, Derakhshan Barjoe and Salehi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Ali Jadidi, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Markazi, Iran

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.