Interpretation of the international evidence-based guidelines for traditional Chinese medicine management of allergic rhinitis

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a prevalent chronic inflammatory disorder that significantly impairs quality of life worldwide. In 2024, the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies (WFCMS) released the International Clinical Practice Guidelines of Chinese Medicine: Allergic Rhinitis (SCM 80-2024), the first globally standardized evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for comprehensive TCM management of AR. Developed through a transparent, prospectively registered process on the PREPARE platform (Registration No. 2023CN081), the guidelines synthesized data from 351 randomized controlled trials involving 43,276 patients and applied the GRADE-TCM framework, which integrates four categories of TCM-specific evidence. 32 recommendations were established through five rounds of Delphi consensus, covering four major TCM syndromes and both internal and external therapeutic interventions. This article presents the English interpretation of the guidelines. Beyond summarizing the core recommendations, it focuses on the methodological innovations underpinning the guidelines, the epistemological distinctions between Chinese and Western medical paradigms, and the regulatory and practical challenges associated with its implementation in predominantly Western healthcare contexts.