Jianpi Qiangji granules improve muscle function in sarcopenia and reshape bile acid metabolism: A randomized double-blind positive-controlled trial.

In 30 seconds

This exploratory, double-blind, double-dummy, positive-controlled randomized trial compared Jianpi Qiangji granules (JQG) with calcitriol in 80 older patients with sarcopenia treated for 12 weeks. Grip strength improved more with JQG, with an adjusted between-group difference of 1.49 kg (95% CI: 0.24 to 2.75). JQG was also associated with greater gains in walking speed and SarQoL score, while the between-group difference in skeletal muscle index was small and its confidence interval included no difference. Both interventions were well tolerated; exploratory analyses suggested changes in bile acid metabolism and other biomarkers.

Key findings

• Grip strength improved more with JQG than calcitriol: adjusted between-group difference 1.49 kg (95% CI: 0.24 to 2.75).
• Walking speed improved more with JQG: adjusted between-group difference 0.13 m/s (95% CI: 0.05 to 0.22).
• SarQoL scores improved more with JQG: adjusted between-group difference 8.13 points (95% CI: 4.15 to 12.11).
• The SMI difference was 0.03 kg/m 2 (95% CI: -0.13 to 0.19); both interventions were well tolerated, with no major safety concern observed.

Why it matters

Sarcopenia affects strength, mobility, and quality of life in older adults. The trial reports improvements in these patient-relevant outcomes with JQG relative to an active comparator, while finding no clear between-group difference in muscle index. The accompanying metabolic and biomarker observations may help guide further research, but are exploratory and do not establish how JQG produces its effects.

What to keep in mind

This was an exploratory trial with 80 patients and 12 weeks of follow-up. The authors state that larger, multicenter, adequately powered trials are needed to confirm the findings; biomarker and metabolomic results are hypothesis-generating.