Herbal Remedies Supply a Novel Prospect for the Treatment of Atherosclerosis: A Review of Current Mechanism Studies

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a systemic cardiovascular disease with complicated pathogenesis involving oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction and chronic inflammation. Increasing lines of evidence have questioned the statins-dominated treatment for AS, including their dangerous side-effects such as the breakdown of muscle when taken in larger doses. A multifaceted approach that addresses all major risk factors or pathological targets may provide an ideal treatment for AS. Studies of the herbal remedies on the prevention and treatment of AS have received much attention in recent years. This review summarizes some important experimental findings regarding their mechanisms of action on AS. Using the pre-set PUBMED searching syntax and inclusion criteria, representative citations published in English concerning the experimental studies of 14 herbal materials were included. We found that many extracts and (or) single compounds from these herbal materials, such as Salvia miltiorrhiza, Curcuma longa, Rheum undulatum and Panax notoginseng, could regulate multiple key targets involved in the initiation and propagation of AS. Some important findings about the effects of herbal formulations on AS were also reviewed. Given the complicated nature of AS and the holistic, combinational approach of herbal remedies, we propose that mixed herbal preparations with multiple active ingredients may be preferable for the prevention and treatment of AS. Further rigorously designed pharmacological evaluation and multi-centred clinical trials are warranted. Copyright (C) 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.