A New Research on Combining Chinese Herbal Formula
with Hypertension Drug
with Hypertension Drug
Despite a recent American Heart Association (AHA) consensus
statement emphasizing the importance of resistant hypertension (RH), its
control is still a challenge for conventional medicine. The Chinese herbal
formula, Qutan Huayu Fang, has been used effectively to assist antihypertensive
agents in blood pressure control, but its effect for RH patients is still
unclear. This pilot study aims to explore the effects of taking the formula in
addition to antihypertensive medication in the management of RH. A prospective
cohort study will be conducted in two first-class hospitals of traditional Chinese
medicine (TCM). Eligible RH patients will be classified as the experimental group
(n = 100) and the control group (n = 100) based on the interventions they
receive. Participants taking antihypertensive agents and the Chinese herbal
formula will be in the experimental group and those taking antihypertensive
agents alone will be in the control group. The whole study will last 24 weeks,
including an 8-week observation and follow-up at 24 weeks. The primary
outcomes, assessed against patient baseline conditions, will be the reduction
of systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure as well as changes in
TCM symptoms and signs. These outcomes will be assessed at weeks 2, 4, 6, and
8. The reductions of blood pressure will also be assessed at week 24. Cardiac
events and mortality rate will be secondary outcomes and will be assessed at
weeks 8 and 24. Any adverse reactions will be recorded during the study. The
causal inference method will be used to assess the effectiveness of the
inclusion of TCM herbal medicine in the management of patients with RH. This
study will determine whether the Chinese herbal formula is helpful for RH
patients treated with antihypertensive agents and the findings will provide a
basis for further confirmatory studies.
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