The efficacy and safety of Epimedium in the treatment of primary osteoporosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

作者：Xianquan Zhang, Zhen-Hui Hua, Chu-Jia Huang, Haiyun Chen, Zhiquan Hu, M N Zhang, Jun Liu · 发表于：Frontiers in Medicine · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.3389/fmed.2025.1675160 · 被引用次数：3 · 研究领域：Medicinal Plant Pharmacodynamics Research、Bone Metabolism and Diseases、Bone health and osteoporosis research

Background Primary Osteoporosis (POP) is a global public health issue, and traditional medications have long-term safety concerns. Epimedium, a kidney-tonifying traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has the potential to regulate bone metabolism through multiple targets, but clinical evidence is scattered and inconclusive. Objective This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Epimedium and its active components in treating POP. Method Computer searches were conducted in multiple domestic and international databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang Database, to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the use of Epimedium as an adjunct or alternative therapy with traditional drug treatments for POP. Literature was screened according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, quality assessments were performed on eligible articles, relevant data were extracted, and statistical analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.4 software. Results A total of 10 RCTs were included, with a final inclusion of 890 cases, 448 in the experimental group and 442 in the control group. Meta-analysis suggests that the overall efficacy rate of the Epimedium group was significantly higher than that of the control group (OR = 3.80; 95% CI: 2.27,6.37; p = 0.0001). Compared with the control group, Epimedium group’s Lumbar vertebra bone mineral density (BMD) (SMD = 1.15; 95% CI: 0.61...