Effect of Bilastine on Chronic Urticaria: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND: Allergic diseases are a public health problem with the largest number of patients and the widest age distribution. Chronic urticaria (CU) is a common clinical allergic disease. Bilastine is effective in the treatment of CU, especially skin wind masses and erythema. The purpose of this study was to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of Bilastine in the treatment of CU symptoms and to provide an evidence-based reference for clinical rational drug use. METHODS: PubMed, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, Embase, EBSCO, and other databases were searched by computer to collect the trials on the effect of bilastine on patients with CU. The retrieval time limit was established until November 2021. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and evaluated the risk of bias in the included study. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan5.4 software. RESULTS: A total of 7 studies were included, including 975 patients. Meta-analysis results showed that compared to the control group, bilastine significantly improved the skin quality of life index, Total Symptom Score (TSS), and weekly urticaria activity score. The skin quality of life index DLQI score (MD = -4.98, 95% CI: -8.09 to -1.86, p = 0.002), skin symptom score TSS (MD = -1.62, 95% CI -2.29 to -0.94, p < 0.00001), the number of hives in a week UAS-7 score (MD = -25.28, 95% CI -32.36 to -18.19, p < 0.00001), and the differences were statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Bilastine has a better therapeutic effect on CU and can also significantly improve the clinical symptoms and quality of life of CU.