The Effect of Chinese Herbal Medicine Combined With Western Medicine on Vascular Endothelial Function in Patients With Hypertension: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Ren W, Wang M, Liao J, Li L, Yang D, Yao R, Huang L · Frontiers in Pharmacology · 2020 June 16
DOI 10.3389/fphar.2020.00823
Objective
The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate the effect of a combination of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) and Western medicine on vascular endothelial function in patients with hypertension.
Conclusions
CHM combined with conventional Western medicine may be effective in lowering blood pressure and improving vascular endothelial function in patients with hypertension. To further confirm this, more well-designed studies with large sample sizes, strict randomization, and clear descriptions about detection and reporting processes are warranted.
Critical Appraisal
Published research can offer valuable insights, but a paper’s conclusions may go beyond what its results support. Critical appraisal examines the methods, findings and limitations to clarify what can reasonably be concluded—and what remains uncertain.
This article has not yet been critically appraised by the Research Hub.
Learn more about Critical Appraisal
Insights
Compared with conventional Western medicine alone, Chinese herbal medicine plus antihypertensive drugs might be effective in reducing blood pressure levels and improving vascular endothelial function in patients with hypertension.
In clinical practice, antihypertensive Western medicines have a clear curative effect, but all of them have certain side effects. They cannot be completely eliminated from clinical use, and it is impossible to avoid situations where some patients may not be willing to take Western drugs and may not fully meet the needs of clinical treatment for hypertension. Thus, in Asian countries, some hypertensive patients have turned to TCM treatment with fewer adverse effects (Xiong et al., 2013).
To comprehensively evaluate the function of the vascular endothelium, we included many blood indicators to ensure that the results are comprehensive. The evaluation of the vascular endothelial function has not been included as one of the important factors affecting the cardiovascular prognosis of patients in the latest hypertension treatment guidelines. Moreover, there are no drugs specifically for vascular endothelial injury. The analysis in this study may provide some evidence for further improvement of the treatment guidelines.
After quantitative synthesis, our review is the first to demonstrate that CPAD can lower BP and improve vascular endothelial function in patients with hypertension, suggesting that TCM as an adjuvant therapy could be used for hypertension treatment by alleviating symptoms and improving well-being.
