The traditional Chinese medicine that could become ‘key treatment’ for heart attacks, as study finds it lowers inflammation without adverse effects
Astragalus root, long used in traditional Chinese medicine, has been found to reduce inflammation in a study on heart attack patients. It has an advantage over other cardiovascular medicines in that it does so without lowering patients’ immunity, something researchers say is ‘important’
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) derived from the root of the Astragalus herb can significantly reduce inflammation in heart attack patients and boost immunity, according to scientific research.
Researchers at Newcastle University in the UK conducted the study on older patients who were given the plant-based compound for more than a year after suffering heart attacks, alongside a group who were given a placebo.
They found that a compound extracted from Astragalus root known as TA-65 significantly reduced inflammation without negatively affecting their immune systems, unlike current cardiovascular treatments.
The study, published in the journal GeroScience, showed when TA-65 was given to patients for over a year after they suffered a heart attack, it specifically increased lymphocytes – a type of white blood cell that helps the body’s immune system.
In addition, patients treated with the drug experienced far fewer complications and issues, such as chest or joint pain, following their heart attack.
Ioakim Spyridopoulos, professor of cardiology and cardiovascular gerontology at Newcastle University, led the study, working with the heart team at The James Cook University Hospital in the nearby city of Middlesbrough.
“It has become widely recognised that inflammation plays a key role in the formation, progression, and rupture of a coronary plaque, which induces heart attack, but, importantly, it is also a major risk factor for further complications,” Spyridopoulos says.
“Reducing inflammation is, therefore, considered a key treatment target following a heart attack for patients, and our study showed that TA-65 reduced inflammation by up to 62 per cent.”
The study was carried out on 90 patients aged 65 and over. Patients had blood measurements taken at baseline, after six months, and after a year, and were reviewed regularly in the clinic to check for any side effects.
If we can show TA-65 improves outcomes of patients who have suffered a heart attack, it will become an addition to patients’ medical care Ioakim Spyridopoulos, professor of cardiology and cardiovascular gerontology at Newcastle University
“While some potent anti-inflammatory drugs have been shown to improve outcomes after heart attacks, they result in suppression of the immune system and increase the risk of severe infections,” Spyridopoulos says.
“In our study, the widely available drug TA-65 was shown to reduce inflammation but also appears to improve immunity by increasing a patient’s immune cells,” he adds.
Those who received the TA-65 drug had few adverse effects, such as a fever or new medical problem, following their heart attack and showed 30 per cent fewer adverse effects than the group given a placebo.
Spyridopoulos says: “If we can show that TA-65 improves the clinical outcomes of patients who have suffered a heart attack, on top of modern treatment options, it will become an important addition to patients’ medical care.”
The research team now hopes to conduct a larger trial focusing on whether TA-65 reduces adverse cardiac events, such as more heart attacks or even death, in such patients.
TCM has been used for thousands of years, but there is limited empirical evidence of its effects. However, it is gaining recognition, with the World Health Organization recently adding TCM therapies to its global diagnostic compendium for the first time.
TCM is believed to have a wide variety of antioxidant components which can be beneficial in treating cardiovascular disease, which mainly develops as a result of oxidative stress.
Previous studies have found that certain TCM compounds appear to have significant anti‐hypertensive effects, and can improve outcomes in coronary heart disease, heart failure and type 2 diabetes. However, the data is inconsistent because of a lack of large‐scale randomised controlled trials.
Claims have also been made that TCM can aid with quitting smoking and even boosting immunity to fight Covid-19.
Astragalus, which is available in liquid, capsule, tablet, intravenous and inhalable forms, is not recommended for pregnant women or those breastfeeding, children, or people with autoimmune disease. The side effects of taking it may include rashes, itching, nausea, diarrhoea and headaches.
Original article by admin, if reproduced, please cite the source as: https://www.tcmha.com/tcmnews/the-traditional-chinese-medicine-that-could-become-key-treatment-for-heart-attacks-as-study-finds-it-lowers-inflammation-without-adverse-effects.html
相关推荐
-
Traditional medicines now available as temperatures drop
With Sunday marking the beginning of this year’s 17th solar term, hanlu, or cold dew, which in the Chinese traditional calendar indicates falling temperatures, the annual gaofang season opened in Shanghai.
-
China to establish national demonstration zones for TCM reform
Seven provincial-level regions in China have been granted approval for establishing national demonstration zones for the comprehensive reform of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the national TCM authority said on Friday. Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Shandong, Hunan, Guangdong and Sichuan are among the first batch in the country to receive such approval, according to the National Administration of TCM. The demonstration zones are aimed to pilot reforms in the service model, industrial development and quality supervision of TCM, among other aspects.
-
Chinese support needed in Cambodia to boost Traditional Chinese Medicine
Chinese participants highlighted the importance of quality control in traditional medicine, which spans from the procurement of raw materials to the delivery of the final products.
-
Sunbathing increasingly popular due to link with TCM therapy
In fact, some of the Chinese fans of sunbathing wear head-to-toe sun-protective clothing when enjoying the sunshine as their aim is not to tan their skin, but to boost their yang qi – a vital energy in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).
-
China Wants Traditional Medicine to Quell Its Pneumonia Wave
China’s health-care practices are once again under the spotlight amid a surge in respiratory illnesses, particularly a common bacteria known as mycoplasma pneumoniae, that’s hitting kids hard. Hospital waiting rooms have been overwhelmed with anxious parents who have had to wait hours to see a doctor.
-
Experts urge rapid digitalization of TCM to reap full benefits
Traditional Chinese medicine is expected to play a bigger role in protecting Chinese people’s health, with the top leadership determined to promote its development, according to experts and practitioners.
-
World Health Organization chief given report on use of traditional Chinese medicine in fighting Covid-19
Proponents of traditional Chinese medicine have met the head of the World Health Organization to present a report on its use in the fight against Covid-19. The delegation led by Huang Luqi, a vice-commissioner of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, met Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Geneva on Monday. A statement published on the administration’s website on Wednesday said the report from the Chinese Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine “systematically evaluates the effectiveness and safety of traditional Chinese medicine using scientific methods”, adding that Tedros had received the report “with…
-
Economic Watch: Traditional Chinese medicine bolsters rural development in Yunnan
KUNMING, March 22 (Xinhua) — From laboratories to farmland, Yang Shaobing has helped those in remote areas in southwest China find a new cash cow by planting traditional Chinese medicinal herbs. Yang, a 37-year-old researcher with the Yunnan Provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences, arrived in the Dulongjiang Township in Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, in 2016 to aid locals in poverty alleviation. Dulongjiang is home to the Dulong people, an ethnic minority group that long endured poverty and poor access to the outside world. In Dulongjiang, Yang guided the…
-
Traditional Chinese Medicines ignore science, pose safety concerns, says report
The presence of toxins in Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM), their questionable clinical trials and lack of scientific evidence about their efficacy are raising many eyebrows. The detailed results of the trials of TCM are also not being published in public and the presence of toxins is not indicated on the packaging of TCM products due to lack of guidelines and required regulations, according to Inside Over. Arthur Grollman, a cancer researcher at Stony Brook University in New York, has published work showing how Aristolochic acid, an ingredient in many TCM…
-
Chinese traditional medicine makes its way into Kenyan market
FOHOW’s entry into the Kenyan market aligns with China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) objectives, focusing on providing quality healthcare services and employment opportunities for local communities, Liu disclosed.
