Heart attack, or acute myocardial infarction, leads to over one million deaths in the US every year, making it a serious health concern. Researchers are still looking for various ways to treat this pressing health threat.
Heart Attack Treatments
Each minute that passes after a heart attack leads to greater tissue death or damage. It is crucial for a person experiencing heart attack to receive urgent treatment to normalize blood flow and restore levels of oxygen. The specific treatments may vary depending on the blood flow blockage.
At times, patients may have to receive medications, such as aspirin, clot busters, nitroglycerin, blood-thinning medicines, beta blockers, morphine, ACE inhibitors, and statins. It may also be necessary to undergo surgical procedures, including coronary angioplasty and stenting or coronary artery bypass grafting.
Now, as more heart attack treatment methods are being explored, a new study shows that a certain traditional Chinese medicine shows potential.
Tongxinluo: a Traditional Chinese Medicine For Treating Heart Attack
Traditional Chinese medicine generally covers different medical practices and therapies that largely differ from practices in the West. The practice itself is highly personalized and specialized.
The specific traditional Chinese medicine that has been seen to exhibit potential for treating heart attack is known as Tongxinluo. This medicine has been tested in human studies with small samples to see how it affects those dealing with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) heart attack. Researchers of a recent study tried to examine its effects on a larger scale by conducting clinical trials and looking into STEMI patients.
Tongxinluo consists of powders and abstracts taken from several plants and insects, including centipedes, scorpions, cockroaches, and leeches. The medicine helps reduce blood vessel inflammation. It has been an approved medicine for treating stroke and heart attack in China since the year 1996.
The researchers think that the compound's ingredients exhibit cardioprotective properties. This could include peoniflorin from white peony root and ginsenoside forms that are the primary major active pharmacological components found in ginseng.
As part of the study, one patient group was administered Tongxinluo while the other was given a placebo medicine for a year. This was coupled with a variety of STEMI treatments.
The findings show that Tongxinluo yielded positive outcomes. The medicine boosted the clinical outcomes of patients with STEMI in a 30-day and one-year course.
While earlier studies were not quite rigorous, this study was conducted well and ion a randomized and double-blind setting. However, before including traditional Chinese medicine in clinical environments and practices, it is crucial to have a compound that is well-manufactured and that has a proven profile of side effects. It is also necessary to know more about its interactions with other drugs and general safety. Having a complementary US study for result validation may also be necessary.
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