Treatment of Gastroesophageal Reflux Cough with Beimu Zhizhu Prescription:A Retrospective Cohort Study
Objective To explore the clinical efficacy and safety of Beimu Zhizhu Prescription(derived from the modification of Zhizhu Pills)in the treatment of GERC by retrospectively analyzing the clinical data of 297 patients with gastroesophageal reflux cough(GERC).Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted in a total of 297 patients with GERC of rebellious stomach qi type who were admitted to the Outpatient Department of Wangjing Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences from July 2021 to July 2023.The patients were divided into an exposure group(136 cases)and a non-exposure group(161 cases)according to the medication of Beimu Zhizhu Prescription or not.The exposure group was treated with Beimu Zhizhu Decoction,and the non-exposure group was treated with proton pump inhibitor of Esomeprazole Magnesium Enteric-coated Tablets.A total of 119 pairs of cases were obtained after propensity score matching(PSM)at the ratio of 1 to 1.The changes of salivary pepsin level before and after treatment in the two groups were observed.After two weeks and eight weeks of treatment,the cough response rate and the remission rates for reflux-related symptoms of acid reflux,heartburn,belching and gastric distension were compared between the two groups,and the incidence of adverse reactions was recorded.Results(1)After two weeks of treatment,the comparison of symptom remission rate after PSM showed that the cough response rate and the remission rates for reflux-related symptoms of acid reflux,heartburn,belching and gastric distension in the exposure group were 84.87%(101/119),80.77%(84/104),82.61%(76/92),82.5%(66/80),84.42%(65/77),respectively,and those in the non-exposure group were 73.95%(88/119),72.90%(78/107),70.41%(69/98),65.38%(51/78),64.38%(47/73),respectively.The intergroup comparison showed that the remission rates for all of the symptoms except for acid reflux in the exposure group was significantly superior to that in the non-exposure group(P<0.05 or P<0.01).After eight weeks of treatment,the cough response rate and the remission rates for reflux-related symptoms of acid reflux,heartburn,belching,and gastric distension in the exposure group were 94.74%(36/38),91.67%(33/36),91.43%(32/35),93.75%(30/32),94.12%(32/34),respectively,and those in the non-exposure group were 77.78%(35/45),74.42%(32/43),71.43%(30/42),68.42%(26/38),66.67%(24/36),respectively.The intergroup comparison showed that the remission rate of all of the symptoms in the exposure group was significantly superior to that in the non-exposure group(P<0.05 or P<0.01).(2)After two weeks of treatment,the comparison of salivary pepsin level after PSM showed that the salivary pepsin level of the exposure group was significantly lower than that before treatment(P<0.01),while that of the non-exposure group was not significantly decreased(P>0.05).The decrease of salivary pepsin level in the exposure group was significantly superior to that in the non-exposure group.Statistically significant differences were presented in the post-treatment salivary pepsin level after two weeks of treatment and in the pre-and post-treatment difference of salivary pepsin level between the two groups(P<0.05 or P<0.01).(3)There were four cases(2.48%)of adverse reactions in the non-exposure group,while no related adverse reactions occurred in the exposure group.There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups(x2=1.180,P=0.178).Conclusion Beimu Zhizhu Decoction can effectively relieve cough and reflux-related symptoms of acid reflux,heartburn,belching,and gastric distension in patients with GERC of rebellious stomach qi type,reduce the level of salivary pepsin,and has high safety.