Table 1.

An overview of the included studies.

Study ID	Age (years)	Classification of chronic gastritis	Type of syndrome	Course of disease (years)	Male (%)	Sample size N (n/n)	Intervention	Control medicine	Time of treatment (weeks)	Outcome measures
Chen and Lai 2013 [7]	21–62	Chronic atrophic gastritis	Weakness of spleen and stomach	1–14	58	117 (59/58)	HQJZ (and stagnation, added Costas, Amomum villosum, and blood stasis, added Salvia miltiorrhiza, Panax notoginseng, and yin-deficiency, added Polygonatum, dwarf lilyturf, and indigestion, added Jiaosanxian, and damp-heat, added Coptis chinensis, and cold-dampness, added Atractylodes)	Domperidone 10 mg tid, vatacoenayme 1 g tid	12	Overall effect (clinical symptoms, signs, manifestations of gastroscopy, and pathology), TCM syndrome effect (TCM symptoms and signs)
Fu et al. 2013 [8]	30–70	Chronic atrophic gastritis	Deficiency cold of spleen and stomach	1–10	53	60 (30/30)	HQJZ	Vatacoenayme 1 g tid	8	Overall effect (clinical symptoms, signs, manifestations of gastroscopy, and pathology), TCM syndrome effect (TCM symptoms and signs)
Zhang 2013 [9]	19–65	Chronic nonatrophic gastritis	Deficiency cold of spleen and stomach	1–11	56	80 (40/40)	HQJZ + western medicine (and loose stools, added parched hyacinth bean 15 g, Coix seed 15 g, and fullness, added citron 10 g, Magnolia 10 g, and stomachache, added Rhizoma Corydalis 10 g, and weakness, added red ginseng 10 g, and loss of appetite, added Jiaosanxian 15 g, Amomum villosum 6 g, and vomiting, added Pinellia 10 g, and acid regurgitation, heartburn, added Cuttlebone 18 g, fritillary bulb 15 g)	Omeprazole 20 mg bid for 4 weeks, or +domperidone 10 mg tid for 4 weeks, or +amoxicillin 0.5 g bid, metronidazole 0.4 g bid for 1 week	4	Overall effect (clinical symptoms, signs, manifestations of gastroscopy, and pathology), TCM syndrome effect (TCM symptoms and signs), Hp clearance, gastroscope, and pathology
Shi 2010 [10]	19–65	Chronic nonatrophic gastritis		1–27	55	120 (60/60)	HQJZ (added Bupleurum 10 g, Radix Aucklandiae 10 g)	Omeprazole 40 mg qd, domperidone 10 mg tid	4	Overall effect (clinical symptoms, signs, manifestations of gastroscopy, and pathology)
Li and Xu 2009 [11]	18–63	Chronic nonatrophic gastritis			47	72 (38/30)	HQJZ (added Evodia rutaecarpa 10 g)	Omeprazole 20 mg qd	4	Overall effect (clinical symptoms, signs, manifestations of gastroscopy, and pathology, Hp)
L. Liu and Y. Liu 2014 [12]	30–76	Chronic gastritis	Deficiency cold of spleen and stomach	0.25–11	56	131 (67/64)	HQJZ + control medicine (added lanceolata 20 g, Atractylodes 15 g, Poria cocos 30 g, Tangerine Peel 8 g, Pinellia 10 g, bitter orange 15 g, corium stomachium galli 15 g, Salvia 15 g, Panax notoginseng powder 4 g, and Cuttlebone 8 g, and stomach fullness, added Radix Aucklandiae 10 g, and white and greasy fur, added Pogostemon cablin 10 g, Perrin 15 g, and loose stools, added yam 15 g, parched hyacinth bean 15 g, and eating little, added Amomum villosum (putted later) 8 g, and stomach cold pain, added Rhizoma Corydalis 15 g, Evodia rutaecarpa 8 g, and acid regurgitation, added Concha Arcae 15 g, Cuttlebone 15 g)	Clarithromycin 0.5 g bid, amoxicillin 0.5 g bid, and bismuth pectin 0.15 g qid	2	Overall effect (clinical symptoms, signs, manifestations of gastroscopy, and pathology)
Ni et al. 2013 [13]	21–66	Chronic gastritis	Deficiency cold of spleen and stomach	0.5–12	62	238 (120/118)	HQJZ + control medicine (and vomiting seriously, added dried ginger, Pinellia, Tangerine Peel, Poria cocos, and acid regurgitation, added Coptis chinensis, Evodia rutaecarpa, Cuttlebone, Concha Arcae, and stomach cold pain, seriously cold inside, vomiting, and cold limbs, added Lizhong Wan, and feeling cold, soreness, tiredness of waist and knee, added Fuzi Lizhong Wan, or added medicated leaven, Atractylodes, Tangerine Peel, agrimony, bitter orange, bergamot according to the symptoms)	Colloidal bismuth pectin 2 capsules tid	4	Overall effect (clinical symptoms, signs, and manifestations of gastroscopy)
Li 2013 [14]	19–76	Chronic gastritis		0.125–10	61	76 (38/38)	HQJZ (added Xiangsha Liujunzi Tang, and stomachache like needling, added Fructus Toosendan, Spatholobus suberectus Dunn, and gastric acid and vomiting, added Evodia rutaecarpa, Cuttlebone, Concha Arcae, and loose stools and not warm hands and feet, added dried ginger, Eaglewood, combined spicebush, aconite, and loss of appetite, nausea, dry and bitter mouth, and yellowish fur, added Gardenia, bamboo shavings, and constipation, added Fructus Cannabis, rhubarb, and white and damp fur, hiccup, and slow pulse, added Calyx Kaki, clove, and eructation, added bristle Inula, Eaglewood)	Omeprazole 20 mg bid	Intervention 2; control medicine 4	Overall effect (clinical symptoms)
Tang and Hong 2003 [15]	20–68	Chronic gastritis		0.5–>5	53	85 (43/42)	HQJZ + furazolidone 0.1 g tid (added lanceolata 15 g, medicated leaven 10 g, and dandelion 30 g)	Amoxicillin (if allergy, metronidazole 0.1 g) 0.5 g, furazolidone 0.1 g, and sucralfate 1.0 g, tid	3	Overall effect (clinical symptoms, manifestations of gastroscopy, and pathology, Hp)