Anemia-related hemogram, uterine artery pulsatility index, and blood pressure for the effects of Four-Agents-Decoction (Si Wu Tang) in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea.

Abstract Objectives: We previously reported pain intensity as the primary outcome of Four-Agents-Decoction (Si Wu Tang) for treating primary dysmenorrhea. We further explored other effects of this formula in accordance with the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine on anemia-related hemogram parameters for “nourishing blood” and uterine artery pulsatility index (PI) for “blood stagnation.” Design: Data were assessed for post-hoc analysis from 76 young women from the Taipei metropolitan area of Taiwan who participated in the randomized double-blind clinical trial. Analysis of variance and t test were used to examine the treatment effect between and within the Four-Agents-Decoction and placebo groups. Outcome measures: In addition to pain intensity, anemia-related hemogram parameters, uterine artery PI, menstruation characteristics, and blood pressure were compared. Results: Compared to placebo, biochemical indicators for anemic status did not change differently after the treatment with Four-Agents-Decocti...