Application of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation

Abstract

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, which is related to many cardiac and cerebral vascular diseases, especially stroke. It can therefore increase cardiovascular mortality and all-cause death. The current treatments of AF remain to be western drugs and radiofrequency ablation which are limited by the tolerance of patients, adverse side effects, and high recurrence rate, especially for the elderly. On the contrary, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with long history of use involves various treatment methods, including Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) or bioactive ingredients, Chinese patent medicines, acupuncture, Qigong, and Tai Chi Chuan. With more and more researches reported, the active roles of TCM in AF management have been discovered. Then it is likely that TCM would be effective preventive means and valuable additional remedy for AF. The potential mechanisms further found by numerous experimental studies showed the distinct characteristics of TCM. Some CHMs or bioactive ingredients are atrial-selective, while others are multichannel and multifunctional. Therefore, in this review we summarized the treatment strategies reported in TCM, with the purpose of providing novel ideas and directions for AF management.

Protective effects of Wenxin Keli against cardiac arrhythmias (Review)

“…As a sole anti-arrhythmic herbal extract in the 2010 revision of Chinese Pharmacopoeia, almost 5 million Asians are currently being administered WXKL for the treatment of ventricular arrhythmias (11). Wenxin Keli is composed of 5 constituents: Nardostachys jatamansi DC (Gansong), Radix Notoginseng (Sanqi), Succinum (Hupo), Polygonatum sibricum (Huangjing) and Codonopsis pilosula (Dangshen) (4,6,(12)(13)(14). Dangshen, the 'monarch' in the regimen, characterized by a sweet flavor, boosts 'qi' (nutrients), tranquilizes the mind and relieves palpitations.…”

Reduced Stroke Risk among Patients with Atrial Fibrillation Receiving Chinese Herbal Medicines Treatment: Analysis of Domestic Data in Taiwan

“…Recently, Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) have been used often to improve well-being for patients with chronic diseases, especially in patients with AF [9]. Based on traditional Chinese medicine theory, the blood-invigorating and stasis-removing (BISR) herbal products are commonly used to prevent or treat stroke [10].…”

“…Based on traditional Chinese medicine theory, the blood-invigorating and stasis-removing (BISR) herbal products are commonly used to prevent or treat stroke [10]. These medications include Dan Shen Decoction, Bu Yang Huan Wu Tang, and Shu Jing Huo Xue Tang, all of which may slow the heart rate or inhibit the platelet aggregation, and as such, enhance cardiovascular health [9,11].…”

“…Though these medications have attracted attention for some time, studies evaluating their efficacy have still yielded inconsistent findings. Some recent studies showed that CHMs combined with conventional therapy may contribute to positive benefits in the management of stroke [9,12]. In contrast, a recent review of 54 studies indicated that the integration of CHMs and warfarin therapy would increase the risk of bleeding due to the exacerbation of the anticoagulant effect [13], implying that the combined use of CHMs and warfarin should be allocated much attention for AF patients.…”

Chinese herbal medicine for patients with atrial fibrillation

“…[ 16 ] In modern China, traditional herbal formulas and Chinese patent medicines are used widely to treat patients with AF. [ 17 ] A population-based cohort study with 70,698 patients as the subjects in Taiwan showed that about 1/8 of the patients with AF took TCM with the antithrombotic drugs at the same time. [ 18 ] However, some studies also pointed out that most clinical trials on the clinical outcome and safety of TCM are limited by small sample size; hence, it is difficult to draw a reliable conclusion.…”