Effects of administering berberine alone or in combination on type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Zhang L, Wu X, Yang R, Chen F, Liao Y, Zhu Z, Wu Z, Sun X, Wang L
Published in Frontiers in Pharmacology
Methodology
Updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials of berberine alone or combined with oral hypoglycaemic agents in type 2 diabetes.
Key Findings
Berberine combined with standard hypoglycaemic therapy produced greater reductions in HbA1c, fasting and postprandial glucose than standard therapy alone; berberine alone performed comparably to metformin in several trials.
Conclusions
Berberine is a useful adjunct in type 2 diabetes management, though evidence quality limits strong recommendations.
Limitations
High heterogeneity, mostly Chinese trials with unclear randomisation, short durations, and no hard outcome data.
Supplements Studied
Berberine combined with oral hypoglycaemic agents produced greater reductions in HbA1c and fasting glucose than standard therapy alone.
Outcomes Measured
Berberine combined with oral hypoglycaemic agents produced greater reductions in HbA1c and fasting glucose than standard therapy alone.
Berberine combined with standard hypoglycaemic therapy produced greater reductions in HbA1c, fasting and postprandial glucose than standard therapy alone; berberine alone performed comparably to metformin in several trials.
Related Health Concerns
Study Details
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Disclosures
Funding
Academic research funding
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