Effect of Hewei-Decoction on chronic atrophic gastritis and eradication of Helicobacter pylori

AIM: To demonstrate the effect of Hewei-Decoction(Decoction for regulating the stomach) on chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) and eradication of Helicobacter pylori.METHODS: Ninety patients with CAG entering the investigation were divided into six differentiation syndromes, based on their major symptoms and signs.Hewei-Decoction was taken by all the patients orally for 4or 8 wk. The efficacy was assessed by both the composite accumulation of reduced scores of major symptoms and the eradication of H pylori.χ2 test was used to compare the efficacy between Hpylori-positive and negative cases,and to disclose the relationship between efficacy and eradication of H pylori.REStULTS: In patients with six different syndrome types,the efficacy of Hewei-Decoction was 91.67% (11/12),92.86% (13/14), 97.22% (35/36), 87.50% (14/16),75.00% (6/8), 75.00% (3/4) respectively. The rate of highly efficacious was 58.33% (7/12), 50.00% (7/14),77.78% (28/36), 62.50% (10/16), 12.50% (1/8) and25.00% (1/4), respectively. The total efficacy was 91.11%(82/90), and the rate of highly efficacious was 60.00%(54/90). The eradication rate of H pyloriwas 67.86%(38/56). The therapeutic effect of Hewei-Decoction was better in H pylori positive cases than that in Hpylori-negative cases with the total effect of 96.43% vs82.35% (P＜0.05).In 56 H pylori positive cases, the therapeutic effect was better in H pylori eradicated cases than that in H pyloriexistent cases with the total effect of 97.37% vs 72.22%(P＜0.01).CONCLUSION: Hewei-Decoction is effective in most cases of all the syndrome types. The results indicate that eradication of H pylori is one of the important mechanisms for alleviation of symptoms and signs. Also, the decoction is efficacious in H pylori-negative cases.