Author(s)

Lixuan Mao

Corresponding Author

Lixuan Mao

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the mechanisms and effectiveness of integrating Traditional Chinese Medicine with Western medicine (TCM-WM integration) in treating type 2 diabetes. Employing a prospective, multi-site, randomized controlled trial design, the study involved 360 participants who were categorized into three groups: Western medicine (Group A), Traditional Chinese medicine (Group B), and an integrative treatment group (Group C). The findings indicated that the integrative treatment group exhibited markedly better outcomes in blood glucose management compared to the single-treatment groups, evidenced by a more substantial reduction in HbA1c and FPG levels, alongside a higher achievement rate of HbA1c targets, reaching 68.3%. In addition, the combination therapy group showed excellent performance in improving beta cell function, reducing urinary albumin/creatinine ratio, and delaying the progression of retinal lesions, with a significant decrease in TCM syndrome scores. Safety analysis shows that the overall adverse reaction rate of the combined treatment group is similar to that of the western medicine group, but attention should be paid to the risk of hypoglycemia. The 52-week follow-up revealed that the combined treatment group experienced a lower HbA1c rebound rate, particularly among patients with a longer medical history. This study demonstrates that the integration of TCM-WM can enhance diabetes treatment outcomes, minimize side effects, and improve patient quality of life through synergistic effects. These findings offer new insights for clinical approaches in diabetes management.

Keywords

diabetes treatment; curative effect evaluation; combined application; Chinese and western medicine