An herbal medicine used to treat cardiovascular diseases in China may improve symptoms of chest pain when used in conjunction with traditional treatments, according to a new systematic review.
In several studies included in the review, taking tongxinluo improved angina patients' electrocardiogram results. Overall, though, the review did not provide solid evidence that the medicine routinely benefits cardiac patients with angina.
Tongxinluo is one of the most successful traditional Chinese medicines on the market in China. Tongxinluo, widely used in parts of Asia, is composed of eight herbs and insects, which are mixed together, ground to a fine powder and enclosed in capsules. Patients taking it for cardiovascular conditions typically consume three to four capsules, three to four times daily, for four weeks.
Angina is chest pain, squeezing or discomfort that occurs when the heart fails to get enough blood. It often occurs as a symptom of coronary artery disease, the most common type of heart disease. With stable angina, patients experience a regular pattern of chest pain. In unstable angina, patients experience unpredictable pain due to a restriction or blockage in blood flow. A third type of angina, called variant angina, occurs rarely.
Conventional pharmacological treatment for patients with angina typically includes medications such as nitrates, which relax and widen blood vessels; beta-blockers, which slow the heart rate and lower blood pressure; calcium channel blockers, which relax blood vessels and slow heart rate; and heparin, which prevents clot formation.
In seven of the studies in the review, patients with unstable angina treated with tongxinluo and conventional treatment that underwent EKGs had better results than patients treated with conventional treatment alone. An EKG measures the electrical activity of the heart and helps physicians detect cardiac problems or changes.
Evidence from ten of the studies indicated that the herbal medicine improved angina symptoms, such as chest pain and discomfort. In three of the studies, tongxinluo's results appeared as effective as those of nitrate medications.
Tongxinluo's beneficial role in treating angina did not surprise Taixiang, who called the review "an encouraging exploration." However, more work needs to be done, according to the study authors. The studies did not show that the use of tongxinluo reduced the number of heart attacks, sudden death or the need for cardiac procedures such as bypass or angioplasty.
The review also linked the herbal medicine to uncomfortable side effects, including gastrointestinal symptoms and blood vessel breakage under the skin.
Source:佚名