Zhou JH 2001a.

Methods	Generation of allocation sequence: unstated. Blinding: not used. Sample size estimation: no information. Withdrawal/drop‐out: unstated.
Participants	Ethnic: Chinese; 147 patients (98 in treatment group, M/F 57/41, mean age 54 years, mean disease duration 6 years; 49 in control group, M/F 29/20, mean age 53 years, mean disease duration 7 years). Setting: not stated. Inclusion criteria: type 2 diabetes mellitus, diagnosed by ADA criteria (ADA 1997), without recently developed severe complications. Exclusion criteria: not stated.
Interventions	Experimental intervention: Qimai Dahuang Tang (mixture of 13 herbs) decoction, one dosage daily, divided in two times orally; plus gliclazide, 40 mg daily; for two months. Control intervention: gliclazide, 40‐160 mg, daily, orally, for two months.
Outcomes	FBG and PBG. No follow‐up was reported.
Notes	The trial report stated using 2:1 to allocate patients, but no details on methods.
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Allocation concealment?	Unclear risk	B ‐ Unclear