STAT+: A controversial new study examines traditional Chinese medicine’s potential cardiac benefits
A traditional Chinese medicine compound used for cardiac benefits might help reduce the incidence of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events and even cardiac death rates, according to a new study published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Tongxinluo — which means “to open (tong) the network (luo) of the heart (xin)” in Mandarin — is a traditional Chinese medicine compound made out of a mixture of powders and extracts from plants, centipedes, cicada, and other sources.
It’s been approved in China since 1996 as a dietary supplement for the treatment of angina and stroke, although none of its components contain active ingredients known in Western medicine to have positive effects on cardiovascular disease.
