Mervin Chávez-Castillo*, Ángel Ortega, Pablo Duran, Daniela Pirela, María Marquina, Climaco Cano, Juan Salazar, Maricarmen C. Gonzalez, Valmore Bermúdez, Joselyn Rojas-Quintero and Manuel Velasco Pages 4410 - 4429 ( 20 )
At present, cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and global trends suggest that this panorama will persist or worsen in the near future. Thus, optimization of treatment strategies and the introduction of novel therapeutic alternatives for CVD represent key objectives in contemporary biomedical research. In recent years, phytotherapy-defined as the therapeutic use of whole or minimally modified plant components-has ignited large scientific interest, with a resurgence of abundant investigation on a wide array of medicinal herbs (MH) for CVD and other conditions. Numerous MH have been observed to intervene in the pathophysiology of CVD via a myriad of molecular mechanisms, including antiinflammatory, anti-oxidant, and other beneficial properties, which translate into the amelioration of three essential aspects of the pathogenesis of CVD: Dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis, and hypertension. Although the preclinical data in this scenario is very rich, the true clinical impact of MH and their purported mechanisms of action is less clear, as large-scale robust research in this regard is in relatively early stages and faces important methodological challenges. This review offers a comprehensive look at the most prominent preclinical and clinical evidence currently available concerning the use of MH in the treatment of CVD from a bench-to-bedside approach.
Phytotherapy, medicinal herbs, cardiovascular disease, dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis, hypertension.
Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases Research Center, School of Medicine, University of Zulia, Maracaibo, Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases Research Center, School of Medicine, University of Zulia, Maracaibo, Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases Research Center, School of Medicine, University of Zulia, Maracaibo, Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases Research Center, School of Medicine, University of Zulia, Maracaibo, Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases Research Center, School of Medicine, University of Zulia, Maracaibo, Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases Research Center, School of Medicine, University of Zulia, Maracaibo, Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases Research Center, School of Medicine, University of Zulia, Maracaibo, Universidad Simon Bolivar, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Barranquilla, Universidad Simon Bolivar, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Barranquilla, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Department, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, Clinical Pharmacology Unit, School of Medicine José María Vargas, Central University of Venezuela, Caracas