Glycemic Stability Maintained with <italic>Yeongyopaedok-san</italic> and <italic>Insampaedok-san</italic> in Type 2 Diabetes: A Retrospective Observational Study

Objective: This study evaluated the glycemic stability and liver and kidney function safety of herbal medicine in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 30 hospitalized patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were treated with either <i>Yeonkyopaedok-san</i> (YKP) or <i>Insampaedok-san</i> (ISP) at Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital between January 2015 and December 2024. Clinical characteristics and laboratory findings were systematically reviewed to investigate the therapeutic effects and safety profile of herbal formulas. Glycemic control was evaluated by analyzing changes in fasting blood glucose (FBS) and 2-hour postprandial glucose (PP2). Safety assessments were performed through a comparative analysis of hepatic and renal function indicators, including aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, blood urea nitrogen, and serum creatinine, measured before and after administration.Results: Following the administration of the herbal extracts, both PP2 and FBS levels showed reductions. Both were statistically nonsignificant in the ISP group; however, a statistically significant lower PP2 was seen in the YKP group. No significant changes were observed in liver or renal function parameters, indicating a favorable safety profile for the herbal treatments.Conclusions: YKP and ISP showed glucose-lowering effects, although mostly statistically insignificant, in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who are concurrently receiving medications, suggesting that these herbal formulations may be administered safely without increasing the risk of glycemic changes while undergoing antidiabetic treatment.