A review of using Traditional Chinese Medicine in the management of glaucoma and cataract

ABSTRACT

Traditional Chinese Medicine has a long history in ophthalmology in China. Over 250 kinds of Traditional Chinese Medicine have been recorded in ancient books for the management of eye diseases, which may provide an alternative or supplement to current ocular therapies. However, the core holistic philosophy of Traditional Chinese Medicine that makes it attractive can also hinder its understanding from a scientific perspective – in particular, determining true cause and effect. This review focused on how Traditional Chinese Medicine could be applied to two prevalent ocular diseases, glaucoma, and cataract. The literature on preclinical and clinical studies in both English and Chinese on the use of Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat these two diseases was reviewed. The pharmacological effects, safety profile, and drug-herb interaction of selected herbal formulas were also investigated. Finally, key considerations for conducting future Traditional Chinese Medicine studies are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Cataract
• drug-herb interactions
• glaucoma
• herbal medicine
• Traditional Chinese Medicine

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Authors’ contributions

Ka-Ying Wong contributed to the conceptualisation, designing, and interpreting the relevant literature, drafting, formatting, and revising of the manuscript. Chau-Minh Phan contributed to the conceptualisation, designing, researching, drafting, formatting, and revision of the manuscript. Yat-Tin Chan contributed to the interpretation of the relevant literature on Traditional Chinese Medicine research articles and the drafting of the manuscript. Ailsa Chui-Ying Yuen and Huan Zhang contributed to the interpretation of the relevant literature on Traditional Chinese Medicine theory and the drafting and revising of the manuscript. Danyue Zhao contributed to the design of the article and revising of the manuscript. Ka-Yin Chan contributed to the revising of the manuscript critically for accuracy. Chi-Wai Do, Thomas Chuen Lam, and Man-Sau Wong gave professional advice and comments on the manuscript. Joanne Han Qiao, David Wulf, and Alex Hui contributed to the revision and formatting of the article and reviewed the literature for accuracy. Lyndon Jones contributed to the conceptualisation of the topics, revision, and formatting of the final manuscript, as well as reviewing the accuracy of the information presented in the article. All authors approved and verified the final version of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

Funding for this work was from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and InnoHK.