The Treatment of Old-age Myocardial Ischemia

The symptoms of myocardial ischemia in elders are chest pressure, shortness of breath, precordialgia, palpitations and fatigue etc. Some of them may have no obvious symptoms, or may show only mild chest pressure. More study of its characteristics is zheng deficiency and evil excess. The myocardial ischemia in elders is different comparing with general other myocardial ischemia patients, so the herbal treatment can be some different too: 

1. Due to organ’s qi deficiency, we do not forget to support zheng qi when we dispel the phlegm. The treatment will add tonify heart qi and nourish heart yin to protect zheng qi, when we unblock yang and drain turbidity, dislodge phlegm and break knot. Usually we choose Gua Luo Ban Xia Xie Bai Tang add-subtract. The herbs include Gua Luo, Ban Xia, Chen Pi, Gui Zhi, Zhi Shi, Yu Jin, Dan Shen, Chi Shi Zhi, and Tai Zi Shen etc. If the phlegm-damp transforms to heat, we should mainly dispel phlegm without excessive tonify, the formula can choose Wen Dan Tang to transform phlegm and dispel damp, restore appetite, thus zheng qi can naturally recover.

2. For palpitations and restless, tonify qi and nourish yin combining with sedate spirit. Generally we apply Bai Zi Yang Xin Decoction add-subtract. The herbs include Huang Qi, Dang Shen, Dang Gui, Fu Shen, Suan Zao Ren, Bai Zi Ren, Yuan Zhi, Wu Wei Zi, Long Gu, Mu Li, Long Chi, Zi Shi Ying etc.
 
3. For blood stasis, we must unblock channels and tonify qi. The treatment usually applies Huang Qi Sheng Mai Yin plus Shi Xiao San add-subtract. The herbs can be Huang Qi, Dang Sheng, Mai Dong Wu Wei Zi, Dan Shen, Tan Xiang, Chi Shao Yao, Wu Ling Zhi, Pu Huang and so on.

Keywords: Herbal Treatment, Old-age, Myocardial Ischemia

Writer: Chuanhua Song, Xiuzhen Chu

Canal Bridge Diseases Research Institute, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province (050041)