Research Progress of Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction and Its Single Herbs in the Treatment of Coronary Heart Disease

Abstract

Coronary atherosclerotic heart disease, abbreviated as coronary heart disease (CHD), is a chronic cardiovascular disease and one of the major diseases threatening the life and health of populations worldwide. Its morbidity and mortality rates are on the rise. In recent years, CHD has also shown a trend of affecting younger individuals, making long-term treatment and management critically important. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), CHD falls under the category of “chest stuffiness and heart pain” (xiongbi xintong). Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction is a classic TCM formula used in clinical practice for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, first recorded in the Qing dynasty medical text Yilin Gaicuo (Corrections on Medical Errors). The formula is rigorously composed, consisting primarily of eleven medicinal herbs: Persicae Semen (Taoren), Carthami Flos (Honghua), Angelicae Sinensis Radix (Danggui), Rehmanniae Radix (Shengdi), Chuanxiong Rhizoma (Chuanxiong), Paeoniae Radix Rubra (Chishao), Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix (Niuxi), Platycodi Radix (Jiegeng), Bupleuri Radix (Chaihu), Aurantii Fructus (Zhiqiao), and Glycyrrhizae Radix (Gancao). When combined, these herbs exert the core actions of promoting blood circulation, removing blood stasis, regulating qi flow, and alleviating pain. Clinically, it is widely used for various conditions caused by internal blood stasis and qi obstruction. Studies have found that Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction contains volatile oils, alkaloids, flavonoids, and other components, which exhibit anti-myocardial ischemia effects, improve blood circulation, resist atherosclerosis, and influence angiogenesis, thereby demonstrating the advantages of TCM in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of CHD.