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This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the effectiveness and safety of traditional Chinese medicine compound prescriptions for treating Graves’ disease, an autoimmune condition that is a common cause of an overactive thyroid. Researchers searched eight major electronic databases and included 44 randomised controlled trials, all of which compared traditional Chinese medicine treatment against conventional Western medical treatment.
The pooled results favoured traditional Chinese medicine across several outcomes. Patients receiving herbal compound prescriptions showed a meaningful reduction in traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores, a higher overall response rate, and improvements in both thyroid function markers and immune system indicators compared with those receiving conventional Western medicine alone. Notably, the rate of adverse reactions was substantially lower in the traditional Chinese medicine group than in the conventional Western medicine group.
Cluster analysis and network pharmacology methods identified six core herbs used most frequently across the included formulas: Prunella vulgaris, Rehmannia glutinosa, Radix Scrophularia, Fritillariae Thunbergii Bulbus, Bupleurum chinense, and Paeonia lactiflora. Analysis of shared biological targets suggested these herbs may act through the phosphoinositide 3-kinase–protein kinase B, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and hypoxia-inducible factor 1 signalling pathways to modulate immune function. The authors caution that the included trials varied in quality and that further high-quality research is needed.
Conclusion: Traditional Chinese medicine compound prescriptions appear to offer therapeutic benefits for Graves’ disease, particularly in improving immune function and reducing adverse reactions, though additional rigorous randomised controlled trials are required to confirm these findings.
Source: Li SS, Chen SW, Gan D and colleagues. Journal of ethnopharmacology (2026). View on PubMed (PMID 41956233) · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2026.121643