Efficacy and Safety of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Obesity Management: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
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Background
Obesity is a global health crisis, contributing to chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been used in East Asia to manage obesity, but evidence on its efficacy and safety remains limited. This systematic review and meta-analysis assess clinical evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on TCM for obesity treatment.
Methods
We systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science from inception to April 2026. Eligible RCTs compared TCM interventions with placebo or conventional treatments in obese patients. Two reviewers independently conducted screening, data extraction, and quality assessment. Meta-analysis was conducted using a random-effects model to calculate pooled weighted mean differences (WMD) and odds ratios (OR) for body weight, BMI, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), lipid profiles, and adverse events.
Results
A total of 33 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 3,053 participants were included in the analysis. TCM significantly reduced body weight (WMD = -5.86 kg, 95% CI: -7.51 to -4.21), BMI (WMD = -2.82 kg/m², 95% CI: -3.38 to -2.25), and WHR (WMD = -0.04, 95% CI: -0.06 to -0.02). Lipid profiles improved, with reductions in total cholesterol (WMD = -0.82 mmol/L), triglycerides (WMD = -0.65 mmol/L), LDL-C (WMD = -0.39 mmol/L), and increased HDL-C (WMD = 0.29 mmol/L) (all p < 0.001). Adverse events were infrequent, with no significant difference observed between TCM and control groups (OR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.24 to 1.08). Funnel plots indicated no publication bias.
Conclusion
TCM appears effective in reducing body weight and improving lipid profiles in obese patients, with a low incidence of adverse events. It may serve as a complementary treatment for obesity, though further high-quality RCTs are needed to confirm these findings and assess long-term outcomes.
