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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article

Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Ethnopharmacology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1397247
This article is part of the Research Topic Natural Sources as Potential Therapeutic Agents against Obesity and Type-II Diabetes View all 8 articles

Efficacy and Safety of Ephedra-containing Oral Medications: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Exploratory Analysis of Dose-Response for Weight Reduction

Provisionally accepted
Hyeongyu Cho Hyeongyu Cho 1Jeewoo Oh Jeewoo Oh 1Hongmin Chu Hongmin Chu 2*hanbit jin hanbit jin 1*Jungtae Leem Jungtae Leem 1,3*
  • 1 College of Korean Medicine, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Republic of Korea
  • 2 Wollong Public Health Subcenter, Paju, Republic of Korea
  • 3 Research Center of Traditional Korean Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Wonkwang University,, Iksan, Republic of Korea

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

    Despite the widespread use of ephedra in various forms, including food supplements and herbal prescriptions, comprehensive studies reviewing efficacy and safety across different countries are lacking. We systematically searched five electronic databases and conducted a meta-analysis of 16 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on ephedra-containing oral medications (EOM), performing a dose-response analysis for weight loss. The meta-analysis results revealed a statistically significant reduction in body mass index (BMI) (MD 1.5 kg/m2, 95% CI -2.46 to -0.54) and secondary outcomes like body weight (BW) and waist circumference (WC). Dose-response analysis indicated a correlation between ephedra and weight reduction. Safety analysis showed no significant difference in adverse effects between the treatment and control groups (RR=0.99, 95% CI=0.80~1.21, P=0.90). In conclusion, EOM has demonstrated effectiveness in promoting weight loss, and the dose-response analysis indicated a correlation between ephedra and weight reduction. However, additional research is necessary due to the limited number of studies and inconsistent results among the assessment criteria. Moreover, if prescribed by traditional medicine physicians within the permissible daily ephedrine dosage range of 150 mg set by the Food and Drug Administration and monitored by healthcare professionals, the risk of severe adverse events is likely minimal.

    Keywords: Ephedra, Overweight, Obesity, Dose-response analysis, systematic review & metaanalysis

    Received: 07 Mar 2024; Accepted: 10 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Cho, Oh, Chu, jin and Leem. 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:
    Hongmin Chu, Wollong Public Health Subcenter, Paju, Republic of Korea
    hanbit jin, College of Korean Medicine, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Republic of Korea
    Jungtae Leem, College of Korean Medicine, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Republic of Korea

    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.