Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Editorial
. 2013 Sep 17;62(12):1073-1074.
doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2013.05.028. Epub 2013 Jun 7.

Cardiotonic modulation in heart failure: insights from traditional Chinese medicine

Affiliations
Editorial

Cardiotonic modulation in heart failure: insights from traditional Chinese medicine

W H Wilson Tang et al. J Am Coll Cardiol. .

Abstract

Medicinal herbs have been used over the past centuries for restoring the body's homeostatic balance. Contemporary use of herbal supplements remains widespread in many cultures as treatment for specific ailments. Many possess cardiovascular actions, and some interact with cardiac medications. However, there is variable scientific evidence with respect to their safety and efficacy, and few have been subjected to the same rigorous evaluation processes and regulations as contemporary pharmaceuticals (1). In the field of heart failure, we have also witnessed the failure of promising naturopathic therapies like hawthorn extract in translating their potential benefits in rigorous clinical trials (2,3).

Keywords: chronic heart failure; controlled clinical trial; qili qiangxin capsules.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment on

References

    1. Tachjian A, Maria V, Jahangir A. Use of herbal products and potential interactions in patients with cardiovascular diseases. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2010;55:515–25. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Pittler MH, Guo R, Ernst E. Hawthorn extract for treating chronic heart failure. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008;(1):CD005312. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Zick SM, Vautaw BM, Gillespie B, Aaronson KD. Hawthorn Extract Randomized Blinded Chronic Heart Failure (HERB CHF) trial. Eur J Heart Fail. 2009;11:990–9. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Liang D, Zhang M. The thinking on TCM differential treatment of congestive heart failure. J Tradit Chin Med. 2000;20:44–7. - PubMed
    1. Li X, Zhang J, Huang J, et al. A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled study of the effects of qili qiangxin capsules in patients with chronic heart failure. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2013;62:1065–72. - PubMed