OBJECTIVETo assess the therapeutic effects of Chinese medicine (CM) treatment mainly by Modified Shenqi Dihuang Decoction (MSDD) in delaying the progress of chronic renal failure (CRF).

METHODSA prospective cohort method was employed. CRF patients with serum creatinine (SCr) ranging between 133 and 442 micromol/L were recruited. Those in the CM treatment group (61 cases) were treated with MSDD as well as basic treatment of Western medicine, while those in the control group (57 cases) were treated with basic treatment of Western medicine alone. A 2-year follow-up study was carried out. The effects on postponing the progression of CRF were observed mainly from the levels of hemoglobin (HB), plasma albumin (ALB), SCr, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), reciprocal slope of serum creatinine (b value), and endpoint events, etc.

RESULTS(1) The progression of the renal function: After 24 months of treatment, better therapeutic effects were shown in the CM treatment group than in the control group (P < 0.05), which could be illustrated by decreased SCr levels, increased eGFR levels, and the positive reciprocal slope of SCr (1/SCr) to the time linear regression slope (b value). There were 40 cases (65.57%) with a reciprocal slope of SCr (b value) > or = 0 (34.43%) and 21 cases with b < 0 in the CM treatment group. However, there were 7 cases (12.28%) with b > or = 0 and 50 cases (87.72%) with b < 0 in the control group. The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). (2) There was no significant difference in HB or ALB between the two groups after 12 months and 24 months of treatment (P > 0.05). (3) Twenty-four months later, there were 6 endpoint events (9.84%) in the CM treatment group and 9 (15.79%) in the control group, with insignificant difference (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONMSDD plus basic treatment of Western medicine could delay the progression of CRF patients.