Interventions	Normalisation of FBG	FBG levels (mmol/L)	HbA1c (%)	FSI levels (mU/L)	Study ID
Astragalus plus gliclazide and metformin vs gliclazide and metformin		‐1.47 (‐1.90 to ‐1.04)	‐1.21 (‐1.47 to ‐0.95)	‐2.84 (‐4.07 to ‐1.61)	Huang CL 2003
Buqi Zhiyin Huoxue Huayu plus glibenclamide and metformin vs glibenclamide and metformin				‐1.60 (‐2.98 to ‐0.22)	Chang ZQ 1998
Danzhi Xiaoyao San plus hypoglycemic drug vs hypoglycemic drug	2.19 (0.96 to 5.00)	‐1.30 (‐1.92 to ‐0.68)	‐1.21 (‐1.40 to ‐1.02)	‐1.30 (‐4.65 to 2.05)	Ni HX 2000
Herbal mixture plus tolbutamide vs tolbutamide		‐1.66 (‐2.17 to ‐1.15)			Wu HM 1996
Huatan Huoxue recipe plus glibenclamide and metformin vs glibenclamide and metformin	1.25 (0.60 to 2.59)				Tao XY 2002
Jiangtang Fang plus glibenclamide vs glibenclamide	1.57 (1.05 to 2.35)	‐0.65 (‐1.16 to ‐0.14)	‐1.13 (‐1.41 to ‐0.85)	0.81 (‐0.88 to 2.50)	Wen S 2000
Jiangtang Tiaozhi Tang plus glibenclamide vs glibenclamide	2.12 (1.26 to 3.57)	‐1.06 (‐1.57 to ‐0.55)			Wei JL 2003
Jianpi Huatan Huoxue plus metformin vs metformin	2.09 (1.11 to 3.96)	‐0.96 (‐1.80 to ‐0.12)			Yang PL 2003
Jinli Da plus glibenclamide vs glibenclamide	7.00 (1.78 to 27.57)	‐2.35 (‐3.68 to ‐1.02)			Zheng X 2001
Kelening plus glibenclamide vs glibenclamide	1.13 (0.62 to 2.06)	‐0.35 (‐0.98 to 0.28)	‐1.04 (‐1.35 to ‐0.73)	‐2.41 (‐4.51 to ‐0.31)	Zhou P 1997
Potentilla chinensis plus metformin and glipizide vs metformin and glipizide		‐0.50 (‐1.01 to 0.01)			Yao LD 2003
Potentilla composita plus glipizide vs glipizide		‐1.81 (‐2.32 to ‐1.30)			Shao CP 2001
Qimai Dahuang Tang plus gliclazide vs gliclazide	1.74 (1.31 to 2.31)	‐1.74 (‐2.68 to ‐0.80)			Zhou JH 2001a
Qingre Huatan Huoxue Huayu plus glibenclamide vs glibenclamide	1.61 (0.76 to 3.38)	‐2.27 (‐2.86 to ‐1.68)			Zeng Y 2001
Sanhuang Jiangtang recipe plus hypoglycemic drug vs glipizide	1.01 (0.64 to 1.61)	‐0.58 (‐1.95 to 0.79)		1.17 (‐34.05 to 36.39)	Zhu ZZ 1997
Shengqi Huafen Tang plus glibenclamide and Insoral vs glibenclamide and Insoral	1.58 (0.78 to 3.20)	1.38 (0.48 to 2.28)			Li Y 2000
Shenqi Jiangtang Tang plus glibenclamide vs glibenclamide	1.31 (0.79 to 2.17)	‐1.41 (‐2.24 to ‐0.58)			Miao WH 2003
Shugan Jianpi Huoxue Tang plus gliclazide and metformin vs gliclazide and metformin	1.95 (1.06 to 3.58)	‐0.70 (‐1.73 to 0.33)		‐1.26 (‐3.17 to 0.65)	Li HW 2002
Sihuang Jiaonang plus glibenclamide vs glibenclamide	1.60 (0.71 to 3.60)				Hu YP 2003
Tangniaobing No. 2 plus glipizide vs glipizide	1.63 (0.53 to 5.06)	0.01 (‐0.59 to 0.61)			Mao L 2002
Tianyuan Jiangtang Wan plus hypoglycemic drug vs hypoglycemic drug		‐0.72 (‐1.40 to ‐0.04)	‐1.45 (‐2.26 to ‐0.64)		Guo GY 1998
Xiaoke Fuzheng capsule plus glipizide or glibenclamide vs glipizide or glibenclamide	1.15 (0.73 to 1.81)				Hou LY 2003
Xiaoke Wan (containing glibenclamide) vs glibenclamide	1.30 (0.89 to 1.89)	‐0.04 (‐0.29 to 0.21)			Zhang HZ 1999
Xiaotang Ling plus glibenclamide vs glibenclamide		‐0.56 (‐1.05 to ‐0.07)	‐0.57 (‐1.13 to ‐0.01)	‐2.19 (‐5.59 to 1.21)	Wang YS 2003
Xiaoyao San plus glibenclamide vs glibenclamide	1.85 (1.43 to 2.38)	‐1.27 (‐1.74 to ‐0.80)		2.03 (1.78 to 2.28)	Zhou XT 2001
Xingyu Huashi recipe plus gliclazide vs gliclazide		‐0.37 (‐1.41 to 0.67)			Guo HF 1996
Xuange Yin plus glipizide vs glipizide	1.90 (1.03 to 3.52)	‐1.33 (‐2.44 to ‐0.22)			Chen H 2003
Yiqi Yangyin Bushen plus glibenclazide and metformin vs glibenclazide and metformin	1.19 (0.94 to 1.52)				Zhang FB 2003
Yiqi Yangyin Huoxue Huayu recipe plus tolbutamide and persantine vs tolbutamide and persantine	1.38 (0.91 to 2.11)				Wang BS 1988
Yisheng Jiangtang Fang plus glibenclamide vs glibenclamide	1.44 (1.05 to 1.97)	‐2.77 (‐3.11 to ‐2.43)		2.01 (1.69 to 2.33)	Peng SJ 1995
Zhonghui Chuanhuang Ye plus hypoglycemic drug vs hypoglycemic drug		‐1.97 (‐3.01 to ‐0.93)			Xu YS 1997
FBG: fasting blood glucose	HbA1c: glycated haemoglobulin	FSI: fasting serum insulin