Treatments in Conventional Medicine and Their Limitations
Conventional medicine implements strong drug therapies to prevent the treated area from blocking again (preventing restenosis).
Under the diagnosis of a Korean Medicine physician, BM Korean Internal Medicine Clinic acknowledges the necessity of these drugs while designing concurrent treatments to minimize side effects.
- Dual Antiplatelet Therapy (DAPT): Using Aspirin and P2Y12 inhibitors together to prevent clot formation within the stent.
- High-Intensity Statin: Administered to lower cholesterol levels and stabilize plaques.
[Limitations and Critical Perspective]
Antiplatelets are essential but increase bleeding risks such as easy bruising or gastrointestinal bleeding.
In particular, a cautious approach is needed regarding the use of Statins.
While Statins are excellent at numerically lowering cholesterol levels, they can cause side effects such as muscle pain, increased risk of diabetes, and elevated liver enzymes.
Furthermore, they deplete Coenzyme Q10, which is essential for cellular energy metabolism, potentially reducing the vitality of the heart muscle.
We must reflect on whether we are obsessing over the number 'cholesterol level' while missing the patient's 'vitality' and 'quality of life.'
BM's Integrative Solution: Awakening the Vessel's Self-Healing Power
BM Korean Internal Medicine Clinic complements and goes beyond the limits of conventional medicine.
Our goal is 'Complete Recovery', where not only the stented vessel but the entire body's vessels maintain health on their own.
- Restenosis Prevention Therapy: Blood-activating and stasis-resolving medicines like 'Guanxinning (Gwansimnyeong)' or 'Tongxinluo (Tongsimnak)' inhibit excessive proliferation of vascular endothelial cells and reduce inflammation after stenting to prevent restenosis. We select the optimal herbal medicine based on the patient's condition (restenosis risk, hyperlipidemia, pain, etc.).
- Managing Statin Side Effects: To improve muscle pain or indigestion caused by Statins, we prescribe herbal medicines that support the liver's detoxification function and boost muscle energy.
- Lifestyle Redesign (Health Freedom Camp): Through the 'HF Camp', we practice a diet that eliminates oxidized oils and sugar. This lowers blood viscosity and calms inflammation more powerfully than drugs. Instead of forcing numbers down, we let the body purify itself.
Evidence-Based Korean Medicine (Scientific Evidence)
Research results demonstrating that Korean Medicine treatments prevent restenosis after PCI, resolve procedure-related psychological anxiety, and improve long-term prognosis.
- Comparative Efficacy of Herbal Medicines for Preventing Restenosis After PCI (Network Meta-Analysis):A comparison of 18 herbal medicines in 8,766 patients revealed that the optimal drug depends on the patient's goal. 'Guanxinning (Gwansimnyeong / 冠心寧)' was most effective for preventing in-stent restenosis (#1), 'Tongxinluo (Tongsimnak / 通心絡)' for preventing MI recurrence, 'Xuezhikang (Hyeoljigang / 血脂康 - Red Yeast Rice)' for reducing revascularization risk, and 'Shexiang Baoxin Pill (Sahyang-bosim-hwan / 麝香保心丸)' for relieving angina pain. This supports personalized precision treatment.
- Fan J, Li T, Pu F, et al. Comparative efficacy of different Chinese patent medicines in preventing restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention: a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Frontiers in Pharmacology. 2024;14:1265766. doi:10.3389/fphar.2023.1265766
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- Effect of Acupuncture on Anxiety and Depression in PCI Patients (Randomized Clinical Trial):In unstable angina patients with high anxiety/depression scores who underwent PCI, a single acupuncture session immediately improved Heart Rate Variability (HRV), confirming the release of sympathetic tension. After 4 weeks of treatment, anxiety and depression scores decreased significantly compared to the sham group, and the frequency of chest pain also reduced, proving it as an essential non-drug solution for cardiac rehabilitation.
- Pei JH, Gan F, Bai YH, Xing YL, Jia JJ, Wang H. Instant and short-term effects of acupuncture for depression and anxiety in unstable angina pectoris patients with percutaneous coronary interventions. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine. 2024;11:1173080. doi:10.3389/fcvm.2024.1173080
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- Effect of Tongxinluo on Reducing Cardiovascular Events and Restenosis After PCI (Large-Scale Clinical Trial CTS-AMI, etc.):Synthesizing data from the large-scale CTS-AMI trial and related studies, 'Tongxinluo (Tongsimnak)' improves microvascular perfusion (preventing No-reflow) in PCI patients and contributes to reducing long-term Major Adverse Cardiac Events (MACE) recurrence rates. In particular, mechanisms protecting vascular endothelial function to help the stented area heal stably have been confirmed.
- Yang Y, Li X, Chen G, et al. Traditional Chinese medicine compound (Tongxinluo) and clinical outcomes of patients with acute myocardial infarction. JAMA. 2023;330(16):1534. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.19524
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