Evaluation of the effect of Qiangli Loquat Dew(sugar-free type)on cough in pneumoconiosis patients based on propensity score matching

XUE Jin; TANG Mei-an; LONG Yuan; ZHANG Min; XIONG Wen-jing; XIAO Xiong-bin

doi:10.20251/j.cnki.1003-3734.2025.10.014

Abstract：Objective:To observe the efficacy and safety of Qiangli Loquat Dew(sugar free type)in improving cough symptoms of pneumoconiosis patients.Methods:A comparative study was undertaken to enroll hospitalized patients with pneumoconiosis and cough symptoms at the Hunan Provincial Institute of Occupational Disease Prevention and Control,spanning the period from January 1,2023,to December 31,2023.Patients were divided into the study group and the control group based on whether they received Qiangli Loquat Dew during their hospitalization.Before treatment and on the 5th day of treatment,clinical efficacy evaluation,cough evaluation test(CET),cough visual analogue Scale(VAS)and the modified Medical Research Council(mMRC)were performed on patients in both groups,and propensity score matching analysis method was used to match patients in both groups.After matching,the groups were compared in terms of clinical effectiveness,alleviation of cough symptoms,and the occurrence of adverse reactions.Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the pneumoconiosis patients who were more likely to benefit from the treatment of Qiangli Loquat Dew.Results:A total of 1801 patients were enrolled in the study,while the control group consisted of 195 patients.Before matching,there were notable differences in age and smoking prevalence between the two groups,with statistical significance(P<0.05).Following a 1∶1 propensity score matching approach,186 patients were selected from each group.After a five-day treatment period,the study group exhibited a notably higher clinical overall response rate compared to the control group.Additionally,the study group exhibited significantly higher improvements in the CET and VAS scores for cough compared to the control group,with statistical significance(all P<0.05).While both groups showed improvement in the mMRC dyspnea scale scores,the magnitude of improvement did not differ statistically between the two groups.Additionally,there was no notable difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups(P>0.05).The binary logistic regression analysis indicated that patients without chronic cough and those in a non-smoking condition(including those with no smoking history or who have quit smoking)had a superior overall clinical response rate compared to patients who suffered from chronic cough and were smokers(P<0.05).Conclusion:Qiangli Loquat Dew effectively alleviates cough symptoms and enhances clinical outcomes in pneumoconiosis inpatients,without elevating the occurrence of adverse reactions.Patients with non-chronic cough and non-smoking status(no smoking history or cessation)have a better curative effect than patients with chronic cough and smoking and are more likely to benefit from the treatment.