Department of Internal and Integrative Medicine, Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Faculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, Am Deimelsberg 34a, 45276 Essen, Germany
Holger Cramer
Department of Internal and Integrative Medicine, Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Faculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, Am Deimelsberg 34a, 45276 Essen, Germany
Kian Chung Ong
KC Ong Chest & Medical Clinic, 3 Mount Elizabeth #12-03, Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, Singapore 228510
Martin Adler
Institute of Integrative Medicine Siegen, University of Münster, Lärchenweg 27, 57078 Siegen, Germany
Andrea Zimmermann
Clinical Research, Dr. Willmar Schwabe GmbH & Co. KG, Willmar-Schwabe-Straβe 4, 76227 Karlsruhe, Germany
Juliette Brandes-Schramm
Clinical Research, Dr. Willmar Schwabe GmbH & Co. KG, Willmar-Schwabe-Straβe 4, 76227 Karlsruhe, Germany
Walter Lehmacher
Emeritus, University of Cologne, Institute of Medical Statistics, Informatics and Epidemiology, Kerpener Straβe 62, 50931 Cologne, Germany
The efficacy of Pelargonium sidoides preparation EPs 7630 in the common cold (CC) was assessed by performing meta-analyses of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. Mean differences (MD) and risk ratios (RR) with their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed. Five trials with a total of 833 patients were included. All trials had a treatment period of ten days with visits at days 3, 5, and 10 after baseline and used a ten-symptom Cold Intensity Score (CIS) as the primary outcome. Significant differences favoring EPs 7630 were observed for total CIS reduction (day 5: MD = -2·30; 95%CI = -4·12,-0·49; day 10: MD = -1·16; 95%CI = -2·22,-0·10), proportion of patients with substantial improvement (day 5: RR = 1·73; day 10: RR = 1·06) and complete remission (day 5: RR = 2·52; day 10: RR = 2·13). Subjects treated with EPs 7630 missed fewer days at work, used less paracetamol and had an improved sleep quality. No serious adverse reactions to EPs 7630 were reported. The results support the efficacy of EPs 7630 in adults with CC.
