This randomized controlled trial looked at elderly patients with cataracts. The researchers compared standard Western medicine alone against a combination of that standard care plus Mingmu Dihuang Tang (MDT). The study included 120 participants. They measured changes in eye chemistry and vision over the course of the treatment.
The group receiving MDT showed significantly higher levels of antioxidant activities, including glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase. They also had lower levels of inflammatory markers like IL-6 and TNF-alpha. Nitric oxide levels were lower in the MDT group as well.
Patients taking the herbal supplement alongside conventional treatment had better visual acuity recovery and less lens clouding. The complication rate was 6.21% in the MDT group, which was significantly lower than in the control group. No adverse events were reported in the study.
While the results suggest value for clinical application, this trial has a small sample size and no long-term follow-up data. Readers should view these findings as promising but not definitive proof of a cure.
