title: Cardioankle vascular index evaluations revealed that cotreatment of ARB Antihypertension medication with traditional Chinese medicine improved arterial functionality.
abstract: Qian Yang He Ji (QYHJ) is a traditional Chinese medicine composed of Digitalis purpurea, Uncaria gambir, Fructus tribuli terrestris, and Ligustrum lucidum. Here, we explored whether combining an antihypertensive angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) therapy with QYHJ can improve the arterial functionality of hypertensive patients. One hundred and eight hypertensive patients were randomized into 2 groups; 1 group (n = 53) was treated with ARB and the other group (n = 55) was treated with ARB combined with QYHJ. Each of the 2 groups included 3 subgroups (pure hypertension, hypertension with diabetes, and hypertension with coronary heart disease) and was further divided into patients with and without complications. The cardioankle vascular index and intima-media thickness and pulse pressure were the outcome evaluation parameter. Combined QYHJ and ARB treatment reduced the values of cardioankle vascular index, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and pulse pressure to significantly lower levels than ARB treatment alone did in hypertension patients after 6 months of treatment. ARB improves hypertension, but a combined QYHJ treatment can additionally ameliorate the arterial functionality not only in solely hypertensive patients but also in hypertensive patients with diabetes and coronary heart disease complications. QYHJ coapplication might be a choice to further improve the arterial functionality during an ARB hypertension treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China. xy593@yahoo.cn
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Min J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Jun M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Fen X
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Ruan
authors.forename: Zeng C
authors.initials: ZC
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Hua M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Alexander M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Endler
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D047228:Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001158:Arteries / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D059289:Vascular Stiffness / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D047228:Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal