Exposure to Chinese Herbal Formulas Containing Cuscutae semen – Lycii fructus Herb Pair and Improvement of Semen Parameters in Idiopathic Oligoasthenozoospe
Yong Zhang, Meifei Zhao, Fukan Yang, Can Wang, Zhenhua Yu, Zhengchun Fang, Yuda PengObjective
This study aimed to conduct a real‐world retrospective cohort study using routine diagnosis and treatment data to comprehensively evaluate the effects of Chinese herbal formulas containing the Cuscutae semen – Lycii fructus herb pair on sperm concentration, motility, and safety in patients with idiopathic oligoasthenozoospermia (iOAT).
Methods
This retrospective cohort study enrolled 440 iOAT patients aged 22–45 years. According to treatment, patients were divided into the herb‐pair group (exposure group; CHM prescriptions containing both C . semen and L . fructus ; n = 220) and the control group (patients who received CHM without this specific herb pair, with or without concomitant Western medication; n = 220). The primary outcome was the change in sperm concentration from baseline to 12 ± 4 weeks after treatment. Secondary outcomes included improvements in progressive motility and total motility, as well as safety. Multivariable analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and propensity score matching (PSM) were employed to control for confounding bias.
Results
After multivariable adjustment, the posttreatment sperm concentration in the herb‐pair group was significantly higher than that in the control group, with an adjusted mean difference of 2.34 × 10 6 /mL (95% CI: 0.54–4.13; p = 0.011). The results after PSM were consistent with the primary analysis, yielding an adjusted difference of 2.88 × 10 6 /mL ( p = 0.005) in the matched cohort. Furthermore, exposure to the herb pair significantly improved progressive motility (adjusted difference, 5.73%; p < 0.001) and total motility (adjusted difference, 6.45%; p < 0.001). Subgroup analysis demonstrated that the herb pair produced beneficial effects across patients with different baseline sperm concentration severities, with no significant differences among subgroups. Regarding safety, no serious adverse events were reported in either group, and the overall incidence of adverse events was low, with no statistically significant difference between groups (herb‐pair group, 5.5% vs. control group, 6.4%; p = 0.840).
Conclusion
Based on real‐world data, exposure to Chinese herbal formulas containing the C. semen – L. fructus herb pair in routine clinical practice can safely and effectively improve semen parameters in patients with iOAT. Clinicians may consider adding this herb pair to conventional therapy to enhance treatment efficacy.