Chinese Medicine can improve coronary artery disease by reducing inflammation: Study

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