Cardiovascular

Dr. Chen’s use of Cardiovascular Medications (Part II)

By Fornia ⋅ August 28, 2008 ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

(this article continues from PART I.)

The Natural Statins

The hospitals are supplied not so much the standalone herbs like hongqu (红曲), but rather multi-herb formulas that claim to regulate blood lipids.

• 松龄血脉康 (songlingxuemaikang) comes in 0.5g pills which you take 3 tid. It is a formula that is a mixture of the calming the liver yang and vitalizing blood flow and is suitable for anxiety-induced hypertension in addition to hyperlipidemia. That said, I haven’t seen the reports on the claims made by the supplier (Kanghong Pharmaceuticals), although it is known that it efficacy is measured relative to fufangluobuma (复方罗布麻), a east-west mixed formula created in Shanghai during the 70s, indicated for treating hypertension. While Kanghong Pharmaceuticals claims that its drug is more effective than fufangluobuma, we do wonder why a CCB is not used as control instead.
• 血滞通胶囊 (xuezhitongjiaonang), comes in 0.45g pills which you take 2 pills tid.
• 银杏叶胶囊 (yinxingyejiaonang) is used not only for hyperlipidemia, but used together with liuwei dihuang wan (六味地黄丸) in the endocrine department for adjunct treatment of diabetes.

For the Brain

These are TCM-versions of Nimodipine (尼莫地平) that prevent possible cerebral vasospasm (血管痉挛) and ischemia (缺血).

• 步长脑心通 (buchangnaoxintong) comes presented as 0.4g capsules, which you take 3 tid. The formula’s core is taohong siwu tang (桃红四物汤) with alot more blood movers added in, worms and insects included; one can also see it as a variant of buyang huanwu tang (补阳还伍汤). It is indicated not only for stroke and stroke prevention, but also for coronary heart disease (冠心病).
• 通心络胶囊 (tongxinluojiaonang) is another comparable formula with a focus on smoothing out cerebral blood flow. It’s 0.26g pills, 3 pills tid (note that the pamphlet says 2 when not severe, 4 when more severe). He feels that this formula is stronger than buchangnaoxintong, because it’s got more worms and insects: ginseng (人参), leech (水蛭), scorpion (全蝎), tubiechong (土鳖虫), centipede (蜈蚣), cantui (蝉蜕), chishao (赤芍), borneol (冰片) and others. He also thinks it’s better, because the packing uses nanotechnology.

To Treat Arrhythmia

Western pharmaceutical drugs are used. They include perhexiline maleate (哌克昔林), also known by patients as 冠脉宁 (guanmaining). But what’s interesting is the use of xinkeshupian, which despite being made of common herbs, is actually used by Dr. Chen for patients with arrhythmia (心律不齐).

• 心可舒片 (xinkeshupian) is made up of 5 herbs: shanzha, danshen, gegen, sanqi, muxiang. One will think blood thinning and vasodilation amongst other functions, but our Dr. Chen likes to prescribe it for arrhythmia (心律不齐). It comes as 0.4g pills which you take 4 (1.2g in total) tid. TCM theory would recommend use such a formula for patients that present with qi stagnation and blood stasis (气滞血瘀).

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