Yong Wang*, Qiyan Wang, Chun Li, Linghui Lu, Qian Zhang, Ruixin Zhu* and Wei Wang* Pages 5115 - 5124 ( 10 )
Heart failure is one of the major causes of mortality worldwide and it is the end stage of several cardiovascular diseases. Traditional Chinese medicine has been used in the management of heart failure for a long time. Only until recently, well-designed clinical trials have been put into practice to study the efficacies of Chinese herbs. Extensive studies have also been carried out to explore the underlying mechanisms of pharmaceutical actions of Chinese herbs. In this study, we will summarize the frequently used Chinese herbs, formulae and patent Chinese drugs in treating patients with heart failure and review published clinical evaluations of Chinese herbs in treating cardiovascular diseases. The mechanisms by which Chinese herbs exert cardio-protective effects will also be reviewed. In the end, we will point out the limitations of current studies and challenges facing modernization of traditional Chinese medicine.
Heart failure, Chinese herbs, clinical evaluation, mechanism studies, Chinese medicine, cardiovascular diseases.
School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, Modern Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, Basic Medical College, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, Basic Medical College, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029