CLINICAL TRIAL
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Add like
Add dislike
Add to saved papers

Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) for poorly responsive early-stage IgA nephropathy: a pilot uncontrolled trial.

BACKGROUND: Inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system is a widely accepted approach to treat immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy, whereas the role of fish oils as a supplement is controversial. Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) is considered to be involved in the pathophysiologic process of this disorder. Recent in vitro and clinical observations that wormwood can decrease TNF-α levels has led us to investigate the effect of wormwood as a supplement in patients with IgA nephropathy.

STUDY DESIGN: Pilot uncontrolled trial.

SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: 10 patients with biopsy-proven IgA nephropathy, normal kidney function, and a history of at least 3 months of proteinuria with protein excretion > 500 mg/d and < 3,500 mg/d despite ongoing dual renin-angiotensin system blockade.

INTERVENTION: The selected patients were given supplements of 1.8 g/d of thujone-free wormwood preparation for 6 months without discontinuing their renin-angiotensin system blockade.

OUTCOMES: Proteinuria and blood pressure after intervention compared with baseline values.

MEASUREMENTS: Monthly assessment of urine protein-creatinine ratio and blood pressure during the observation period.

RESULTS: Urine protein-creatinine ratio decreased significantly from 2,340 ± 530 to 315 ± 200 mg/g at the end of the supplementation period (P < 0.001) and was stable during the supplement-free follow-up of another 6 months. Estimated glomerular filtration rate and endogenous creatinine clearance were unchanged during the entire study period. There was a moderate, but significant, decrease (P < 0.002) in mean arterial blood pressure.

LIMITATIONS: Open uncontrolled trial including a small number of patients.

CONCLUSIONS: Thujone-free wormwood with its favorable safety profile can be an alternative supplement to manage proteinuria in patients with IgA nephropathy.

Full text links

We have located links that may give you full text access.
Can't access the paper?
Try logging in through your university/institutional subscription. For a smoother one-click institutional access experience, please use our mobile app.

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

Mobile app image

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

All material on this website is protected by copyright, Copyright © 1994-2024 by WebMD LLC.
This website also contains material copyrighted by 3rd parties.

By using this service, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.

Your Privacy Choices Toggle icon

You can now claim free CME credits for this literature searchClaim now

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app