Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a serious, progressive, long-term complication of diabetes, with cases rising globally, burdening healthcare systems. Although certain blood pressure medications can alleviate symptoms, long-term improvements aren’t expected.
Combining theories of inflammation as a driving factor behind DKD with the potency of a particular traditional Chinese medicine herbal cocktail to address kidney problems brought researchers from Guang’anmen Hospital of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, along with collaborators from multiple traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) hospitals across China, together to study its effect in a randomized controlled clinical trial.
Their results, published in Precision Clinical Medicine, show that the Chinese Shenzhuo Formula outperformed the current standard of care, underscoring the potential integration of traditional Chinese medicine into current treatment regimens.
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Diabetic Kidney Disease Makes People Pee Valuable Protein
The major complication of a kidney damaged by diabetes is the loss of its proper filtering function, leading to proteinuria. This means the organ can no longer withhold certain valuable proteins from the blood, instead excreting them through the urine.
While there are effective drugs already commonly prescribed that reduce proteinuria by relaxing blood vessels to lower blood pressure (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers), they only slow renal function decline without providing long-term improvement. They also come with a long list of side effects: critically low blood pressure, swelling, and dry cough, just to name a few.
Besides targeting the obvious mechanics behind kidney disease, more research points toward inflammation as a major driver of kidney function loss in diabetes. This prompted Chinese researchers to investigate the potency of alternative treatments that could complement the current standard of care.
In a new randomized clinical trial, the scientists used Shenzhuo Formula, a complex herbal mix based on traditional Chinese medicine principles — conventionally used to boost blood circulation — and studied its impact on kidney inflammation and function.
Chinese Herbal Mix Beats Conventional Kidney Medication
The multicenter, randomized, double-blind clinical trial lasted 24 weeks and involved 120 participants with DKD. Patients were treated with either the herbal mix or the standard form of treatment, an angiotensin receptor blocker called irbesartan.
While both interventions reduced urinary protein levels, only patients treated with the Shenzhuo Formula showed significant improvements in other markers of kidney function, indicating improved renal function.
“Many existing therapies slow decline, but few demonstrate an actual increase in filtration capacity,” said one of the corresponding investigators in a press statement.
Beyond observing how the herbal mixture improved kidney function in patients, the researchers also wanted to understand what was happening on a biochemical level. Using advanced biochemical testing and animal models, they confirmed their initial theory: the alternative treatment works so well because it reduces inflammation in the kidneys.
A Template to Study Traditional Medicine in Future Trials
This discovery supports prior evidence that inflammation should be considered when treating DKD, rather than addressing mechanical complications solely with blood pressure medication. Instead, the researchers are calling for multi-component therapies to better tackle this complex condition.
Additionally, their study design serves as a great template for investigating traditional medicine in future clinical trials.
Researchers hope these results will inspire longer and larger studies that further support the potential of traditional Chinese medicine as a treatment alternative or complementary therapy for people with DKD, especially those who struggle with standard medications or who aim to improve overall quality of life.
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