Top Global Medical Journal: Tongxinluo Capsules Reduce Acute Myocardial Infarction Mortality Risk by 30%
On October 24, local time in the United States, a study titled “Chinese Medicine Tongxinluo Capsules in Myocardial Infarction for Myocardial Preservation” involving 124 hospitals, led by Prof. Yang Yuejin from the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases and Fuwai Hospital, CAMS & PUMC, was published in one of the top four global medical journals, the Journal of the American Medical Association (impact factor: 120.7). The study findings demonstrate that augmenting the recommended treatment with Tongxinluo Capsules leads to a significant improvement in the clinical outcomes for patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) at both 30 days and 1 year. This offers an effective therapeutic approach for enhancing the long-term prognosis of acute myocardial infarction.
The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) (impact factor 120.7 in 2022) stands as a comprehensive clinical medical journal hosted by the American Medical Association. Established in 1883, it ranks among the top four prestigious medical journals worldwide, alongside the New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, and the British Medical Journal.
It is known that acute STEMI is a grave condition characterized by a high mortality rate. It has now emerged as a significant global health concern, posing a serious threat to the lives and overall health of people around the world. When it comes to revascularization following acute myocardial infarction, although there are treatment drugs recommended in guidelines, some patients still encounter clinical complications, such as recurring myocardial infarction, the no-reflow after the intervention, and reperfusion injuries. These complications can lead to readmissions for recurrent myocardial infarction and severe conditions like heart failure, ultimately impacting the long-term prognosis of patients. On a global scale, there remains a deficiency of specific therapeutic drugs to address these issues, leaving an urgent clinical need for new drugs or treatment strategies to enhance the treatment outcomes for STEMI patients.
Previous studies have demonstrated that Tongxinluo Capsules can significantly reduce myocardial no-reflow and infarct size, thereby protecting myocardial cells. Based on numerous experimental and clinical studies, Prof. Yang Yuejin led the study titled “Chinese Medicine Tongxinluo Capsules in Myocardial Infarction for Myocardial Preservation”, which included a total of 3797 STEMI patients from 124 hospitals in China, all of whom presented within 24 h of the symptom onset. This is a randomized, double-blind, multicenter, placebo-controlled clinical trial. The study results indicate that Tongxinluo Capsules significantly reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events at 30 days, including cardiac death, recurrent myocardial infarction, urgent coronary revascularization, and stroke, by 36%, and lower the risk of cardiac death by 30%. At the one-year mark, Tongxinluo Capsules continue to reduce the risk of adverse cardiovascular events by 36% and cardiac death by 27%, thus offering an effective therapeutic option for improving the long-term prognosis of acute myocardial infarction.
Tongxinluo Capsules, a patented traditional Chinese medicine developed by Yiling Pharmaceutical, were introduced to the market in 1996. This drug is primarily indicated for the treatment of coronary heart disease and cerebral infarction. Multiple post-market reassessment experiments and clinical studies conducted on Tongxinluo Capsules have confirmed that the drug has lipid regulation, anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory properties, protects the vascular endothelium, stabilizes and inhibits plaque formation, protects small blood vessels, and relieves vascular spasms.
Prof. Eric Peterson from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, who was among the study participants, emphasized that this study stands as a meticulously designed, high-standard randomized, controlled, double-blind, multicenter clinical trial. The results validate the safety and effectiveness of Tongxinluo Capsules, notably enhancing clinical efficacy for patients with acute myocardial infarction, particularly in reducing cardiac death and mitigating severe complications, marking it as a groundbreaking study.