Adjuvant Chinese Herbal Products for Preventing Ischemic Stroke in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

Abstract

ObjectiveChinese herbal products (CHPs) are widely used for atrial fibrillation (AF) in Taiwan. We investigated the effect of adjuvant CHPs in preventing ischemic stroke in patients with AF.MethodsTaiwanese patients in the Health Insurance Database newly diagnosed with AF during 2000–2011 were enrolled. Medication treatment with/without CHPs was administered within 7 days after the AF diagnosis. The clinical endpoint was an ischemic stroke. The Chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, and Student t test were used to examine differences between the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and non-TCM cohorts. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to assess the risk for ischemic stroke between two cohorts.ResultsThree hundred and eleven patients underwent TCM treatment and 1715 patients did not. Compared to non-TCM users, TCM users had a lower incidence of stroke (12.59% vs. 1.93%, respectively) and lower risk of stroke [CHA2DS2-VASc score = 0–2 (hazard ratio = 0.20; 95% confidence interval = 0.06–0.65)]. Compared to non-TCM users, the stroke risk was significantly lower in TCM users with AF who were female or younger than 65 years, but not in males, people more than 65 years old, or people with comorbidities. Compared to TCM users, non-TCM users who received conventional treatment had a higher ischemic stroke risk. The risk for AF-related hospitalization was significantly lower in TCM users (0.64%) than in non-TCM users (38.1%).ConclusionsUsers of TCM with AF have a lower risk of new-onset ischemic stroke. Therefore, adjuvant CHP therapy may have a protective effect and may be used in AF patients to prevent ischemic stroke.

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“…In the field of traditional medicine, many studies on stroke have been conducted in China, Korea and other East Asian countries [11][12][13], which includes studies on the effectiveness of different types of herbal medicine for stroke [14,15]. Some herbal medicines appear to be effective for the prevention and treatment of stroke [16,17].…”

“…Unfortunately, there are no groundbreaking treatments for these symptoms.. In Korea and China, herbal medicines have been used to treat the diverse symptoms of stroke since ancient times [5]. Herbal medicine treatment is widely known to be effective in the treatment of stroke.…”

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“…Insomnia and depression In 2002∼2010, 37% of patients diagnosed with insomnia used hypnotic drug and herbal medicine in combination 53) In 2003, 42.73% of patients with major and mild depressive disorder who were prescribed antidepressant used TEAM 54) In 64,65) In 2008, The acupuncture utilization rate of stroke patients increased to 17% 66) In 2000, 24% of stroke patients used TEAM, but in 2009, they increased to 32% 67) In 2000∼2010, 77.30% of newly diagnosed ischemic stroke patients used TEAM 68) Atrial fibrillation In 2000∼2011, 15.35% of newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation patients used TEAM within 7 days 69) Heart failure In 2001∼2010, 78.50% of newly diagnosed heart failure patients used TEAM 70) Ischemic heart disease In 2000∼2010, 81.59% of newly diagnosed ischemic heart disease patients used TEAM 71) Diseases of the respiratory system (7.53%)…”

Salvia miltiorrhiza enhances the survival of mesenchymal stem cells under ischemic conditions†

“…[4,[6][7][8] For thousands of years, Eastern cultures have used traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for treating stroke. [4,9] Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (SM), commonly known as Danshen, is a widely known herb used for the treatment of various diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's, hyperlipidemia and acute cerebrovascular disease. [10,11,14] SM is a well-known herbal medicine, effective in revitalizing blood circulation and alleviating blood stasis.…”