A new study at the annual conference of the American Heart Association in Chicago revealed that traditional Chinese drugs made of herbs and crushed insects may be effective in preventing heart attacks, according to the British newspaper “Daily Mail”.
According to the newspaper “Daily Mail”, Tongxinluo capsules, which contain a mixture of scorpion powder, cockroaches, stuck and savings, along with more familiar ingredients such as ginseng, are widely used in China to treat heart problems.
Previous research indicated that the product may work by relaxing blood vessels and improving blood circulation.
It was found in smaller experiments to reduce angina, but the new study, which included more than 4000 volunteers, is one of the largest studies that examine its effects.
Patients were given in the hospital after suffering an acute heart attack either standard treatment – including traditional pillars and medicines – with Tongxinluo capsules, which they had to take three times a day for a year, or standard treatment and fake pills.
The results, reported at the conference, sparked surprise, not only because of the extraordinary ingredients, but because it turned out that the drug was very effective.
Less patients in the Tongxinluo group needed more surgery, or died from heart attacks or have suffered other heart problems in the first month and no major side effects were reported.
Dr. Kenneth Mahafi, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at Stanford University, described the results as “interesting”. He added that there will be more analyzes before extracting any conclusions – in particular, the extent of the impact of the standard drug.
He concluded that “at the present time, these results are likely to support the use of this Chinese medicine in patients with an acute heart attack in China. ”
“We don’t know what an active component is a mixture of herbs and insects, we want to know more if it has a real effect,” said Albert Vero, a professor of clinical pharmacy of the heart and blood vessels at Kings College London..
About Author
