Clinical Patterns of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Ischemic Heart Disease Treatment: A Population-Based Cohort Study

Abstract

Background and objectives: Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) are widely prescribed to relieve ischemic heart disease (IHD); however, no cohort studies have been conducted on the use of TCMs for patients with IHD. The aim of the study was to analyze TCM prescription patterns for patients with IHD. Materials and Methods: The retrospective population-based study employed a randomly sampled cohort of 4317 subjects who visited TCM clinics. Data were obtained from the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) of Taiwan for the period covering 2000 to 2017. Data analysis focused on the top ten most commonly prescribed formulae and single TCMs. We also examined the most common two- and three-drug combinations of TCM in single prescriptions. Demographic characteristics included age and sex distributions. Analysis was performed on 22,441 prescriptions. Results: The majority of TCM patients were male (53.6%) and over 50 years of age (65.1%). Zhi-Gan-Cao-Tang (24.76%) was the most frequently prescribed formulae, and Danshen (28.89%) was the most frequently prescribed single TCM for the treatment of IHD. The most common two- and three-drug TCM combinations were Xue-Fu-Zhu-Yu-Tang and Danshen” (7.51%) and “Zhi-Gan-Cao-Tang, Yang-Xin-Tang, and Gua-Lou-Xie-Bai-Ban-Xia-Tang” (2.79%). Conclusions: Our results suggest that most of the frequently prescribed TCMs for IHD were Qi toning agents that deal with cardiovascular disease through the promotion of blood circulation. The widespread use of these drugs warrants large-scale, randomized clinical trials to investigate their effectiveness and safety.

Inflammation in Coronary Atherosclerosis: Insights into Pathogenesis and Therapeutic Potential of Anti-Inflammatory Drugs

“…Its precise mechanism of action is not fully understood, but it is believed to improve blood flow, reduce inflammation, protect against oxidative stress, and inhibit platelet aggregation. It is commonly used for angina, coronary artery disease, and myocardial infarction [ 34 ]. Xiao-Juan et al performed a randomized clinical trial comparing the ABC group to the ABCD group among subjects undergoing coronary angioplasty for unstable angina.…”

Network pharmacology-based analysis of potential mechanisms of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury by total salvianolic acid injection

“…Salvia miltiorrhiza , a herb renowned for its traditional use in treating cardiovascular diseases like coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, and angina pectoris, belongs to the class of herbs known to stimulate blood circulation and alleviate blood stasis ( Wang et al, 2022 ). Notably, a study demonstrated that post-ischemic reperfusion recovery in left ventricular developed pressure was significantly improved, and contracture was reduced in hearts treated with Salvia miltiorrhiza compared to untreated hearts ( Zhou and Ruigrok, 1990 ).…”