TCM shines on global medical conference stage

Local medical experts have released the latest study on the safety and efficacy of Muskardia or Shexiang Baoxin Pill, a traditional Chinese medicine composite formula to treat cardiovascular disease, at the world's largest and most influential cardiology conference, bringing TCM to an international stage for global introduction and recognition.

The research led by Shanghai's Changzheng Hospital studied the effects and safety of the Shexiang Baoxin Pill on patients with ischemia with non-obstructive coronary arteries, or INOCA, a chronic coronary syndrome condition that is being increasingly recognized as a substantial contributor to adverse cardiovascular mortality and issues including myocardial infarction and heart failure.

The research was a phase 4, multi-center, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial with patients being divided into two groups – one with Shexiang Baoxin pills and one with placebos for 12 weeks.

The results showed that the pill is a safe, effective and well-tolerated medicine, which can reduce the happening and seriousness of chest pain and improve patients' life quality, the researchers told the 2024 Congress of European Society of Cardiology in London.

Dr Ge Junbo from Shanghai's Zhongshan Hospital, a top cardiologist in China, said this research, which was strictly designed and meets the standards of international practice, is a landmark study and an evidence-based, scientific measure to confirm the effects of TCM in coronary disease prevention and control.

Ge said INOCA is a common disease and, among 112 million people in the world with chest pain, the majority have INOCA.

"The current treatment for INOCA is mainly lifestyle change, anti-chest pain medicine, statins (which lower cholesterol), and antiplatelet drugs," Ge said. "So far there is no evidence-based treatment on INOCA due to its complicated mechanism and a lack of well-designed clinical trials. Doctors desperately need more reliable, effective and targeted therapy on INOCA. This research on Shexiang Baoxin Pill offers more choice in clinical practice.

"It is also an important step for the modernization and globalization of TCM. We are eager to see TCM can serve more patients, especially global patients."