Treatments in Conventional Medicine and Their Limitations
Conventional medicine uses drugs to stop the pulse in emergencies or performs catheter ablation as a fundamental treatment.
- Emergency Care: Using Valsalva maneuver to stimulate the vagus nerve or Adenosine injection to block the circuit.
- Interventional Treatment: Physically removing the problematic electrical path (accessory pathway, dual pathway) using radiofrequency energy (Catheter Ablation) or freezing (Cryoablation).
[Limitations and Critical Perspective]
Procedures like catheter ablation are effective, but since our body is organically connected, if the environment surrounding the heart does not change, arrhythmia can recur at any time.
The fact that many patients visit us because atrial fibrillation or tachycardia recurred even after receiving cardioversion or various ablations proves that a local approach to the heart alone cannot be a fundamental cure.
If you miss the forest for the trees, you cannot root out the disease.
Additionally, long-term medication (beta-blockers, etc.) can cause lethargy or bradycardia.
In particular, we must not overlook that Statins, commonly prescribed for cardiovascular prevention, can cause muscle pain or deplete Coenzyme Q10, a vital energy source for the heart muscle, potentially reducing the heart's vitality in the long term.
BM's Integrative Solution: Designing Heart Stability
BM Korean Internal Medicine Clinic provides integrative treatment for patients who fear procedures, have residual symptoms after procedures, or suffer from frequent recurrences, aiming for physical and mental peace.
- Clearing Heat and Calming the Spirit (Cheong-yeol-an-sin / 淸熱安神): Using cold-natured herbs like Coptis (Hwangnyeon) and Bamboo Shavings (Jukyeo) to extinguish the Fire accumulated in the heart and calm sympathetic excitation, reducing the frequency of tachycardia attacks.
- Regulating Qi and Invigorating Blood (I-gi-hwal-hyeol / 理氣活血): Using herbs like Salvia (Dansam) and Cyperus (Hyangbuja) to unblock stagnant energy and improve blood circulation, preventing the heart's electrical flow from twisting.
- Acupuncture: Stimulating points like 'Neiguan' and 'Shenmen' activates the parasympathetic nervous system, fostering the patient's own power to find stability during an attack.
- Lifestyle Redesign (Health Freedom Camp): Through the 'HF Camp', we completely correct dietary habits that trigger tachycardia, such as caffeine, alcohol, and overeating. We also guide meditation and breathing techniques to manage stress. Improving the environment around the heart to create a body where arrhythmia cannot occur is the completion of treatment.
Evidence-Based Korean Medicine (Scientific Evidence)
Research results demonstrating that Korean Medicine treatments are equivalent to Western drugs in suppressing arrhythmia, possess superior safety, and are economically rational choices.
- Equivalence and Combination Effect of 'Wenxin Keli' Compared to Western Drugs (Meta-Analysis): Analysis of 2,469 patients showed that 'Wenxin Keli' monotherapy had no difference in arrhythmia suppression effect compared to potent Western antiarrhythmic drugs like Amiodarone (Non-inferiority). However, it showed overwhelming safety, with almost no common side effects of Western drugs like bradycardia or hypotension. When combined with Western drugs, a synergistic effect of significantly reducing the recurrence rate of atrial fibrillation was confirmed.
- Wang X, Wang Y, Feng XY, et al. Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on Wenxin keli. Drug Design Development and Therapy. 2016;Volume 10:3725-3736. doi:10.2147/dddt.s112333
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- Efficacy, Safety, and Economy of 'Shensongyangxin' Capsules (Large-Scale Meta-Analysis):Analyzing 1,942 patients with coronary heart disease and arrhythmia, combining 'Shensongyangxin' capsules increased the treatment efficacy rate by 3.65 times and improved blood viscosity. Notably, cost-effectiveness analysis proved it to be an economically valid choice. Furthermore, a 2024 meta-analysis of 5,520 patients reaffirmed that herbal medicine treatment groups had 14% better efficacy than Western drug groups while side effect incidence was 56% lower (RR=0.44), confirming herbal medicine as a highly safe and effective alternative.
- Ma L, Li L, Ma F, Ma F, Ma S. Efficacy, safety, and economy of shensongyangxin capsules for the treatment of coronary heart disease arrhythmia: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Annals of Medicine and Surgery. 2023;85(10):4989-5000. doi:10.1097/ms9.0000000000001244
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- Ahn JY, Chu H, Leem J, Yun JM. Effectiveness and safety of traditional herbal medicine on cardiac arrhythmic condition: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized control clinical trial. Medicine. 2024;103(23):e38441. doi:10.1097/md.0000000000038441
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- Comparison of Arrhythmia Prevention Effect Between Acupuncture and Antiarrhythmic Drugs (Meta-Analysis):Acupuncture showed similar or better effects than antiarrhythmic drugs like Amiodarone in preventing the recurrence of atrial fibrillation and PSVT. Importantly, no serious side effects were reported, proving it to be a safe alternative for patients who cannot tolerate drug side effects.
- Li Y, Barajas-Martinez H, Li B, et al. Comparative effectiveness of acupuncture and antiarrhythmic drugs for the prevention of cardiac arrhythmias: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Frontiers in Physiology. 2017;8:358. doi:10.3389/fphys.2017.00358
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