Korean Red Ginseng Did Not Significantly Improve Fatigue in Patients with Rheumatic Diseases

by | Oct 30, 2024 | 2024, Botanicals, Ginseng, Joint Health

Written by Chrystal Moulton Science Writer. Results from week 0 to week 12 showed Improvement in fatigue scale, however it was not statistically significant (FACIT- fatigue scale, P = 0.242; VAS scale, P = 0.583).

jointIndividuals suffering from rheumatic diseases generally experience fatigue as a most common complaint1,2. Various factors contribute to fatigue in rheumatic diseases such as chronic pain, depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, and disease activity1,3,4. Korean red ginseng has been shown to improve fatigue in randomized controlled trials5-7. In the current trial, researchers investigated the effect of Korean red ginseng on fatigue in patients with rheumatic diseases8.

This trial was conducted in Korea and lasted for 24 weeks. Eligible patients at the Hanyang University Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases were randomly assigned either Korean red ginseng or placebo for 12 weeks. Following 12 weeks of placebo or intervention, all patients (including those in the placebo group) received Korean red ginseng until the 24th week. Patients in the intervention group were given 2g of red ginseng in the form of tablets. The placebo group also received tablets that were indistinguishable from the intervention group. Eligible patients were between 19-80 years old, diagnosed with either rheumatoid arthritis or Sjorgen’s syndrome, and complained of persistent fatigue for three months. The primary outcome was improvement in fatigue at week 12 based on the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy- fatigue scale (FACIT- fatigue). The secondary outcome was improvement in fatigue based on the fatigue visual analog scale (VAS) and changes In visual analog scale (VAS) and FACIT fatigue scale between week 0, week 12, and week 24.

120 patients were randomly assigned to either the placebo or intervention group in this double-blind randomized control trial. The average age was 50.9 ±11.6 years old and 97.5% of participants were female (N = 117). No significant differences were observed at baseline between the placebo and intervention group in disease activity, baseline fatigue (FACIT- fatigue and VAS scale), nor demographics. At week 12, 56 patients in both the intervention and placebo completed the double-blind phase of the trial. At week 24, 55 patients in the intervention group and 54 patients originally assigned to placebo completed the open label portion of this trial. Results from week 0 to week 12 showed Improvement in fatigue scale, however it was not statistically significant (FACIT- fatigue scale, P = 0.242; VAS scale, P = 0.583). No significant improvement was also observed at week 24. Changes in scores from week 0 to week 12 and week 24 showed some improvement, however these changes were not statistically significant. Further analysis based on rheumatoid arthritis, Sjorgen’s syndrome, or both demonstrated no statistically significant improvement in fatigue between the placebo and intervention groups.

Results from this trial showed that Korean red ginseng did not significantly improve fatigue in patients suffering from rheumatic diseases compared to the placebo. Additional trials will be needed to verify these findings.

Source: Cho, Soo-Kyung, Yeo-Jin Song, Jung-Yong Han, Hye Won Kim, Eunwoo Nam, and Yoon-Kyoung Sung. “Effectiveness of Korean Red Ginseng on fatigue in patients with rheumatic diseases: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.” The Korean Journal of Internal Medicine (2024).

© 2024 The Korean Association of Internal Medicine

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Posted October 30, 2024.

Chrystal Moulton BA, PMP, is a 2008 graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago. She graduated with a bachelor’s in psychology with a focus on premedical studies and is a licensed project manager. She currently resides in Indianapolis, IN.

References:

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  6. Kim JW, Han SW, Cho JY, et al. Korean red ginseng for cancer-related fatigue in colorectal cancer patients with chemotherapy: A randomised phase III trial. European journal of cancer (Oxford, England : 1990). May 2020;130:51-62. doi:10.1016/j.ejca.2020.02.018
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  8. Cho SK, Song YJ, Han JY, Kim HW, Nam E, Sung YK. Effectiveness of Korean Red Ginseng on fatigue in patients with rheumatic diseases: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Korean J Intern Med. Jul 2024;39(4):680-690. doi:10.3904/kjim.2023.350