あきば病院における漢方製剤服用患者のALT変動要因の検討

概要

論文の詳細を見る
Japanese traditional herbal medicines (Kampo medicines) play an important role in healthcare in Japan. However, recently, adverse effects due to Kampo medicines, such as liver injury, have been reported. In order to examine the frequency of liver injury in patients taking Kampo medicines and to identify the herbs mainly responsible for liver injury, we examined ALT levels in patients before and after administration of Kampo medicines at Akiba Hospital in Sanbu-gun, Chiba Prefecture. We targeted outpatients who first came to the hospital between 1993 and 1996 and whose ALT levels before and after the administration of Kampo medicines were known. Out of the total of 305 patients, 15 patients had elevated ALT levels. Eighty-seven percent of the liver injury in these patients occurred more than 3 months after the date that Kampo medicines were first administered and the periods until it occurred varied from 2-8 months. Eleven Kampo medicine formulations were used for these patients but Scutellariae radix was the only herb given to all of them suggesting that this herb was responsible for the liver injury. Incidentally, herbal medicines containing only Scutellariae radix have previously been reported to cause liver injury. Therefore, patients treated with Kampo medicines containing Scutellariae radix should have regular blood tests at least once a month to check for any signs of liver injury.
日本医療薬学会の論文
2006-06-10