Chinese Medicine can improve coronary artery disease by reducing inflammation: Study
By dominguez // 2019-07-27
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In this review, researchers from the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences and Beijing University of Chinese Medicine discussed the potential of combining Chinese medicine and Western medicine as a strategy to inhibit inflammation. Their article was published in the Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine.
  • Inflammation plays a critical role in atherosclerosis and the occurrence of acute cardiovascular events.
  • Inflammation is also considered as a potential new target for the treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD) to reduce residual cardiovascular risk.
  • Recently, a large-scale clinical trial involving anti-inflammatory therapy with canakinumab for atherosclerotic disease (CANTOS) targeted inflammation instead of lipids. It confirmed, for the first time, that the inflammatory hypothesis of atherosclerosis is correct.
  • Chinese medicine is a promising adjuvant therapy for CAD because of its safety and pleiotropic effects, some of which include:
    • Anti-inflammatory
    • Anti-platelet
    • Lipid-regulating
    • Endothelium-protective
    • Microcirculation-improving
  • In recent years, Chinese medicine has been increasingly applied in the anti-inflammatory treatment of CAD.
Taking CANTOS as an example, the researchers believe that combining Chinese medicine and Western medicine is a sound strategy for combating inflammation -- the root cause of heart disease -- and that their paper can provide a new perspective on the use of Chinese medicine for the treatment of CAD. Journal Reference: Li SM, Li JG, Xu H. A NEW PERSPECTIVE FOR CHINESE MEDICINE INTERVENTION FOR CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE: TARGETING INFLAMMATION. Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine. 22 August 2018;25(1):3–8. DOI: 10.1007/s11655-018-2995-1
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