Effect of traditional Chinese medicine external treatment in older patients with nocturia: a meta-analysis

Background: To assess the efficacy and clinical value of traditional Chinese medicine external treatment (TCMET) for older patients with nocturia. Materials and Methods: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Biological Medicine Database (CBM), VIP Chinese Science and Technology Journal Full-text Database (VP-CSJFD), and Wanfang database from their inception to September 30, 2024. Studies focusing on applying TCMET for older patients with nocturia were included. Primary outcome measures comprised the times of nocturia, Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) scores, and overall response rate. The extracted data was analyzed using Stata software (Version 17.0). Results: 15 articles were included in this study (Figure-1), including 580 patients in the TCMET group and 318 patients in the conventional western medicine treatment (CWMT) group. The overall response rate after TCMET treatment in patients with nocturia was 94% [ES=0.94, 95%CI (0.91, 0.94)]. The number of nocturia episodes after treatment decreased by 2.39 times compared to before treatment [SMD=2.39, 95% CI (1.30, 3.48)]. TCMET treatment resulted in a 4.77-point decrease in patients' PSQI scores from baseline [SMD=4.77, 95% CI: 1.67, 7.86]. Compared with CWMT, TCMET did not show significant superiority in improving overall response rate or PSQI scores (P0.05); however, it significantly reduced nocturnal voiding frequency (P0.05). Conclusion: According to the existing literature evidence, TCMET can reduce the times of nocturia and improve sleep quality in older patients with nocturia. It is an effective treatment for older patients with nocturia.