Globally, the integration of traditional medicine and modern medicine has been recognized as a global health priority aimed at improving healthcare accessibility, cultural relevance, and therapeutic effectiveness. This review systematically examines the global landscape of traditional medicine-modern medicine integration by analyzing policy developments, regulatory frameworks, and clinical implementation models across various regions, including Asia, Africa, Europe, and the USA. The scope of the review encompasses five key domains: (1) global policy initiatives, (2) regulatory and institutional frameworks, (3) clinical integration models, (4) impacts and outcomes of integrative practices, and (5) challenges and barriers to implementation. Based on peer-reviewed literature and official health policy documents published between 2000 and 2025, the present review investigates how countries have operationalized clinical integration models combining traditional and complementary medicine. Although interest in traditional and complementary medicine has grown worldwide, persistent challenges, such as limited scientific validation, lack of standardization, and professional resistance, continue to hinder progress. This review concludes that successful and sustainable integration requires evidence-based clinical approaches, inclusive regulatory reforms, and coordinated policy strategies. Countries such as China, India, and Brazil have made significant advances, offering valuable models for future implementation worldwide.

Cholelithiasis and gallstone-related complications remain one of the most prevalent gastrointestinal diseases globally. Age, gender, body mass index, physical activity, dietary factors, and genetics play a role in the development of gallstones. More than 20% of patients with gallstones will develop symptomatic disease during their lifetime, which can often lead to complications and significant morbidity. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is considered the standard of care for symptomatic gallstone disease. Still, in select patient populations and in those who are non-surgical candidates, medical management, with bile acid therapy such as ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) or mechanical therapy such as extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, is preferred. UDCA is a hydrophilic bile acid that lowers biliary cholesterol saturation and aids in dissolving small, cholesterol-rich gallstones. UDCA appears to be well tolerated in the populations studied. While serious adverse events were uncommon in the available literature, UDCA’s efficacy is limited by a high recurrence rate. The aim of this review is to summarize the current evidence and developments regarding the role of UDCA therapy in the management of cholelithiasis and choledocholithiasis.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) develops when the immune system targets and destroys pancreatic β-cells responsible for insulin production, ultimately resulting in reduced insulin levels. Islet transplantation has garnered significant attention as a potential treatment, but it presents numerous challenges that hinder its effectiveness for T1D patients. A primary issue is the immune system’s tendency to reject transplanted islets, leading to a gradual decline in their functionality. Furthermore, many individuals remain reliant on additional insulin therapy. These challenges are exacerbated by the global shortage of organ donors, which limits the availability of pancreata for transplantation. This review outlines several innovative strategies to regenerate insulin-producing β-cells for the treatment of T1D, with a primary focus on pancreatic progenitor and stem cells. The strategy of converting non-β cells, particularly pancreatic α-cells, into functional β-cells continues to show promise. Moreover, α-cells, which are less vulnerable to autoimmune attacks, present a distinct opportunity for β-cell regeneration in individuals with T1D. While the use of progenitor or stem cells for β-cell regeneration appears encouraging, various hurdles, such as immune rejection, suboptimal differentiation, and other challenges, still impede the implementation of this strategy. Nonetheless, this approach may ultimately pave the way for long-lasting treatment and potential cures for T1D.

Achalasia is a motility disorder of the esophagus, characterized by failure of relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter and disordered peristalsis. Although it is a rare condition, its incidence is rising, likely due to advances in diagnostic techniques and the adoption of standardized definitions. Achalasia is associated with significant morbidity, and currently, there is no cure. Pharmacologic, endoscopic, and surgical interventions are aimed at symptom control. Laparoscopic Heller myotomy (LHM) has been the standard of care for achalasia since the 1990s. Over the past two decades, per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) has emerged as a viable treatment option. Today, LHM and POEM represent the two most effective treatment modalities available for achalasia. This review aims to compare outcomes following LHM and POEM for achalasia and to explore patient characteristics and technical factors that guide optimal treatment selection. We examine the evidence regarding dysphagia relief, reflux, complications, and reintervention rates for both procedures, taking into account factors such as prior surgical history, achalasia subtype, and patient comorbidities.

Gastrointestinal (GI) health is essential for maintaining systemic balance, influencing digestion, immunity, and neuroendocrine signaling. However, GI disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease, peptic ulcers, and constipation are increasingly prevalent, significantly affecting global health and healthcare economics. Although conventional pharmacological treatments offer symptomatic relief, their long-term use is often associated with adverse effects, resistance, and limited efficacy, prompting a shift toward alternative and complementary therapies. Traditional systems of medicine, such as Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Unani, and Siddha, emphasize holistic approaches, including herbal formulations that target underlying causes rather than just symptoms. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the role of natural products and traditional herbals in GI health. It discusses key bioactive constituents, flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, and polyphenols, known for their anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, gastroprotective, and prebiotic properties. Widely used herbal remedies such as Triphala, licorice root, peppermint oil, turmeric, and psyllium are highlighted for their proven therapeutic actions. Additionally, the review documents more than 300 medicinal plants traditionally used in diverse cultures worldwide for managing GI conditions, based on ethnopharmacological evidence. While the therapeutic promise is substantial, challenges such as formulation standardization, herb-drug interactions, and limited clinical data remain. The review underscores the need for integrating traditional wisdom with modern scientific validation, offering a path forward for safe, effective, and personalized GI healthcare.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other motor neuron diseases (MNDs) are major global causes of death. However, their global incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years remain largely unknown, despite their importance for disease prevention and resource allocation. We therefore examined the global epidemiology of ALS/MNDs.

This study analyzed data from the Global Burden of Disease 2021 database for 204 regions (1990–2021), focusing on ALS/MNDs. Data from the world, China, and the G8 countries were analyzed separately. Age-standardized incidence rates were reported for the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s.

A rising global burden of ALS/MNDs, with significant variations across regions and levels of the social development index, was observed in the Global Burden of Disease database. A significant overlap of etiology between neurological diseases and ALS was also identified. Among the G8 countries and China, China and the USA exhibited the highest prevalence rates in the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s, with China showing 3.3 per 10,000 and the USA 4.0 per 10,000 in the 2020s.

Understanding the common etiologies of ALS/MNDs is key to their effective control. Recommended strategies include pollution control, chemical and radiation safety management, disease monitoring, public health education, multi-departmental collaboration, and scientific research.

Ginseng, a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, has been used for centuries to enhance vitality and overall well-being. This review synthesizes multiple studies to summarize the latest discoveries on the immunoregulatory effects of ginseng, its role in improving patients’ quality of life, and new evidence of its antitumor properties. It concludes that ginseng and its extracts can improve patients’ quality of life and may have the potential to target tumor cells. Meanwhile, ginseng extracts significantly improve sub-health status, with an 85% improvement rate observed in young adults after 30 days of intervention. This review provides valuable new evidence for ongoing research on ginseng and its extracts.

Persistent liver injury halts the regenerative capacity of hepatocytes and activates mechanisms that result in the replacement of normal hepatic parenchyma with extracellular matrix deposits. As liver fibrosis develops, the liver undergoes architectural changes and alterations in microcirculation that lead to increased intrahepatic vascular resistance and portal hypertension. Thrombocytopenia is a prevalent condition in patients with chronic liver disease and portal hypertension. Multiple mechanisms related to increased platelet destruction or decreased platelet production contribute to thrombocytopenia. Increased platelet destruction occurs due to splenic sequestration caused by hypersplenism or immune-mediated conditions. Decreased platelet production results from a decline in thrombopoietin production, bone marrow suppression by medications, or toxic insults. Therapies aimed at improving thrombocytopenia are controversial, and individual factors must be considered. Although hepatic venous pressure gradient measurement is the gold standard for diagnosing portal hypertension, non-invasive tests show adequate correlation with hepatic venous pressure gradients. Various clinical risk scores consider platelet counts as independent predictors of adverse liver outcomes, such as the development of esophageal varices and the presence of advanced fibrosis. Nonselective beta-blockers are the cornerstone of long-term management for clinically significant portal hypertension. Indications for transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt placement include failure to control portal hypertension-related bleeding, early rebleeding, and refractory or recurrent ascites. Ultimately, liver transplantation is the only definitive cure for portal hypertension and its major complications, including thrombocytopenia. Understanding the mechanisms underlying thrombocytopenia in patients with portal hypertension and chronic liver disease is essential for accurate diagnosis and effective patient management. This review aimed to evidence on the pathophysiological mechanisms linking chronic liver disease, portal hypertension, and thrombocytopenia, and to discuss their diagnostic and therapeutic implications.

Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is a common disease in neurosurgery, with epidemiological characteristics showing an overall annual incidence of 1.7–20.6 per 100,000 people and a higher prevalence in the elderly. However, despite the increased disease burden, there have been limited breakthroughs in treatment options over the past 20 years. A significant gap exists in our understanding of the exact pathophysiological mechanism of CSDH, leading to a lack of specific clinical treatment options based on a clear pathological mechanism. Current research suggests that the development of CSDH involves dual mechanisms of trauma and inflammation, and that these pathologic processes together promote pathological changes such as angiogenesis, inflammatory response, and neovascularization. Therapies for CSDH encompass both surgical (e.g., twist-drill drainage, burr-hole drainage, craniotomy) and non-surgical approaches (e.g., clinical observation, medication, intracranial pressure monitoring, anticoagulation). Meanwhile, middle meningeal artery embolization, as an emerging minimally invasive interventional technique, has shown good prospects for clinical application. This review aims to bridge the gap between current treatment options and the need for effective strategies by providing a comprehensive summary of the epidemiological trends, pathophysiological advances, and optimization of therapeutic strategies for CSDH.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), the most common chronic liver disorder worldwide, results from multidimensional network dysregulation involving lipid metabolism imbalance, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and gut-liver axis disruption. Silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1), an NAD+-dependent deacetylase, functions as a central regulator of metabolic homeostasis and a key mediator in immune microenvironment remodeling and inter-organ communication. This review systematically describes the multi-target mechanisms of SIRT1 in MASLD pathogenesis through its regulation of critical factors, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-α, Forkhead Box O, and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells, which govern hepatocyte lipid remodeling, mitochondrial quality control, autophagy–endoplasmic reticulum stress balance, and Kupffer cell/T cell polarization. This work introduces, for the first time, the concept that SIRT1 mediates systemic regulation of MASLD via coordinated “metabolism–inflammation–organ axis” interactions. Recent studies indicate that natural compounds (e.g., resveratrol, curcumin) improve gut-liver barrier function through microbiota–SIRT1 interactions, while synthetic activators (SRT1720) and NAD+ precursors (NMN) enhance hepatocyte antioxidant capacity and fatty acid β-oxidation. This innovative analysis highlights the spatiotemporal specificity of various SIRT1 activators, emphasizing that tissue-selective delivery and dynamic dosage optimization are crucial for overcoming clinical translation challenges. By integrating mechanistic and translational insights, this review provides a novel foundation for precision intervention strategies targeting SIRT1 network reprogramming.