Evaluation of herbal bath as an adjunct to Acitretin treatment for psoriasis

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Created On: 11/12/2023

A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess the supplementary benefits of using a combination of herbal bath and Acitretin for individuals suffering from psoriasis.

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Key take away

In psoriasis-affected people, the use of herbal baths in conjunction with Acitretin treatment demonstrated greater effectiveness compared to using Acitretin as a standalone therapy.

Background

A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess the supplementary benefits of using a combination of herbal bath and Acitretin for individuals suffering from psoriasis.

Method

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that investigated the combined treatment of herbal baths and Acitretin for psoriasis were sought by searching 10 electronic databases. Two independent researchers conducted the processes of risk of bias assessment, data extraction, and study selection. Revman 5.4 was utilized for data synthesis and risk of bias evaluation.

Result

Overall, 10 RCTs involving a total of 1,008 participants were considered. The group that received a combination of herbal baths and Acitretin exhibited a greater average total effective rate compared to the group treated with Acitretin alone (Relative Risk [RR] 1.39, I2=0%). Additionally, the group that received herbal baths in conjunction with other therapies, like phototherapy (narrowband ultraviolet B [NB-UVB]) and oral herbal medicine, along with the Acitretin group, also demonstrated a greater average total effective rate compared to the Acitretin-only group (RR 1.81; I2=43%).

Furthermore, the group that combined herbal baths and phototherapy (NB-UVB) with Acitretin displayed a greater average total effective rate than the Acitretin-alone group (RR 1.51, I2=0%). But, it is pivotal to note that the overall risk of bias in the incorporated studies was either vague or high.

Conclusion

Combining herbal baths with Acitretin treatment outperformed Acitretin alone in the management of psoriasis. However, due to the limited number of included studies, variations among the studies, and the overall quality of the included research being insufficient, further rigorously designed RCTs are necessary to validate the supplementary benefits of herbal baths for psoriasis.