Treatments in Conventional Medicine and Their Limitations
Conventional medicine focuses on physically widening narrowed renal arteries or lowering blood pressure.
Under the diagnosis of a Korean Medicine physician, BM Korean Internal Medicine Clinic acknowledges the necessity of these treatments and designs optimal concurrent therapies to protect the kidneys before and after procedures.
- Medication: ACE inhibitors or ARBs are used to control blood pressure and reduce proteinuria. Statins are administered for hyperlipidemia management.
- Revascularization (PTRA/Stent): Widening narrowed renal arteries with balloons or stents to secure blood flow.
[Limitations and Critical Perspective]
Even after widening vessels with stents, kidney function often does not recover (No benefit in renal outcomes).
This is because even if the large vessel is opened, the microvessels inside the kidney are already damaged.
Furthermore, ACE inhibitors act as a double-edged sword, potentially causing acute renal failure in patients with bilateral stenosis.
In particular, Statins lower cholesterol but deplete Coenzyme Q10, which is essential for cellular energy metabolism in the kidneys, potentially reducing the vitality of the kidneys in the long term.
We must be cautious not to miss the 'vitality of the organ' while trying to control 'numbers.'
BM's Integrative Solution: Breathing Life into the Kidneys
BM Korean Internal Medicine Clinic goes beyond the limits of conventional medicine.
Our goal is not just to widen blood vessels, but to 'Preserve Function' by reviving microcirculation in kidney tissue and inhibiting fibrosis.
- Microcirculation Improvement Therapy: Herbal medicines containing Salvia miltiorrhiza (Dansam) and Astragalus (Hwanggi) dilate microvessels within the kidney and increase blood flow to prevent ischemic damage. This is key to improving microvascular disorders that stenting cannot resolve.
- Anti-Fibrosis Therapy: We implement herbal treatments to inhibit the process of the kidney hardening (fibrosis) due to chronic ischemia.
- Lifestyle Redesign (Health Freedom Camp): Through the 'HF Camp', we strictly eliminate salt and processed foods that burden the kidneys. A plant-based antioxidant diet is the most powerful treatment to reduce oxidative stress and slow down kidney aging.
Evidence-Based Korean Medicine (Scientific Evidence)
Research results demonstrating that Korean Medicine treatments inhibit renal fibrosis, improve blood flow, and slow the progression of chronic kidney disease.
- Therapeutic Effect of Astragalus for Chronic Kidney Disease (Cochrane Systematic Review): An analysis of 22 RCTs involving 6,304 patients showed that combining 'Astragalus (Hwanggi / 黃芪)' with standard treatment statistically significantly reduced Proteinuria (24h urinary protein). It also lowered Serum Creatinine (SCr) and BUN levels while increasing albumin, confirming it as a promising adjunctive therapy for preserving kidney function and improving nutritional status.
- Zhang HW, Lin ZX, Xu C, Leung C, Chan LS. Astragalus (a traditional Chinese medicine) for treating chronic kidney disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2014;2014(10):CD008369. doi:10.1002/14651858.cd008369.pub2
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- Reduced Risk of Progression to ESRD with Herbal Medicine Use (Taiwan National Cohort Study): A long-term follow-up of 24,971 patients with chronic kidney disease revealed that the group taking herbal medicines prescribed by specialists had a 59% reduced risk of End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) and a 40% reduced risk of mortality compared to the non-user group. Herbs like Salvia (Dansam), Rheum (Daehwang), and Astragalus (Hwanggi) were identified as most effective for kidney protection.
- Lin MY, Chiu YW, Chang JS, et al. Association of prescribed Chinese herbal medicine use with risk of end-stage renal disease in patients with chronic kidney disease. Kidney International. 2015;88(6):1365-1373. doi:10.1038/ki.2015.226
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- Mechanism of Zhenwu Decoction on Edema in Nephrotic Syndrome (Aquaporin Regulation): In a nephrotic syndrome model, 'Zhenwu Decoction (Jinmutang / 真武湯)' effectively treated refractory edema by simultaneously inhibiting the Vasopressin (AVP) and Aldosterone (RAAS) pathways, thereby suppressing the overexpression of water channels Aquaporin (AQP2, AQP3). It also demonstrated efficacy in reducing proteinuria by inhibiting podocyte damage.
- Xu M, Du M, Qu W, Wei Y, Wang H, Yang X. Zhenwu decoction ameliorates adriamycin-induced nephrotic syndrome in rats via dual modulation of AVP-V2R-AQP2 and RAAS-MR-AQP3 pathways. Renal Failure. 2025;47(1):2599570. doi:10.1080/0886022x.2025.2599570
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