Traditional Chinese Medicine Huanglian Improves Muscular Endurance in Type 2 Diabetes Patients

Abstract

Type 2 diabetes often leads to compromised muscle endurance. Herein, we have explored the effect of Huanglian, a traditional Chinese medicine herb, on muscle endurance in patients with type 2 diabetes. To this end, type 2 diabetes patients aged 18–60 years were recruited and treated with anti-diabetic drugs, or anti-diabetic drugs plus 20 g of Huanglian daily, for one month. All subjects were instructed in muscle endurance assessment guided by the videos from the App in the clinic setting. The baseline and post-intervention muscle endurance values were recorded through the app and compared. The treatment group receiving Huanglian had higher muscle endurance than the control group. Multivariate regression analysis showed that lower limb muscle endurance (OR = 4.282, 95% CI: 1.537–11.928) and upper abdominal muscle endurance (OR = 4.632, 95% CI: 1.847–11.618) were correlated with Huanglian treatment. In conclusion, the level of muscle endurance of the lower limbs and upper abdominals is positively correlated with Huanglian decoction treatment in diabetic patients. The sensitivity of this video-guided test method is comparable to that of traditional equipment and more conducive to clinical application.