Potential Role of Unani Herbs in Management of Hypertensive Cardiomyopathy: A Review

Mulla Abdul Wahid; Mohd Khalid; Khan Azhar Hasan; Mariyam Roqaiya; Hina Fatima

Abstract

AbstractHypertensive cardiomyopathy (HTN-CM) is a structural heart disease associated with concentric left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) along with systolic or diastolic dysfunction in primary hypertensive patients in the absence of other cardiac diseases causing myocardial hypertrophy or cardiac dysfunction. The structural and functional myocardial abnormalities due to persistent hypertension result in myocardial ischemia, fibrosis, and hypertrophy. HTN-CM is primarily a disease of impaired ventricular relaxation rather than impaired contractility; thus patients are generally asymptomatic in resting conditions, but the stiff left ventricles do not properly relax in strenuous conditions and cannot generate appropriate cardiac output. The concomitant LVH is itself a major risk factor for mortality and morbidity in hypertensive patients. Therefore, early detection of hypertensive cardiomyopathy is vital for the treatment corroborated with pathological findings, echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Extensive research work has been done on essential hypertension in Unani medicine with promising results based on the removal of vascular congestion (Imtila bi Hasbil Auiya), and the same treatment basics may be applied in management of hypertensive cardiomyopathy. Drugs like Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna ROXB.), Tabasheer (Bambusa arundinacea Wild.), Jadwar (Delphinum denudatum Wall.), Zafran (Crocus sativus L.), and Asrol (Rauvolfia serpentina L.) are scientifically reported for their potent efficacy in management of essential hypertension and the resultant cardiomyopathy. As the major research has been focused on management of essential hypertension; the present review will focus on hypertensive cardiomyopathy highlighting the foreseen effects of Unani herbs, their mechanism of actions, metabolic targets, possible future research avenues, and limitations in view of available scientific data.Keywords: hypertension; cardiomyopathy; Arjuna; UnaniCite this ArticleMulla Abdul Wahid, Mohd Khalid, Khan Azhar Hasan, Mariyam Roqaiya, Hina Fatima. Potential Role of Unani Herbs in Management of Hypertensive Cardiomyopathy: A Review. Research & Reviews: A Journal of Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy . 2020; 9(1): 1–6p.