Content Sources:
1. Li Qiang, Zhang Hongmin. "The formation of arterial plaque and its impact on the development of cardiovascular disease." Advances in Cardiovascular Diseases, Vol. 35, No. 2, 2015, pp. 150-154.
2. Wang Li, Zhou Jianren. "Advances in vascular plaque stability." Chinese Journal of Arteriosclerosis, Vol. 24, No. 9, 2016, pp. 862-865.
3. Chen Ming, He Hong. "Diagnosis and Treatment of Peripheral Arterial Disease." Chinese Journal of Practical Internal Medicine, Vol. 37, No. 12, 2017, pp. 1002-1006.
Vascular health is a health topic that many people pay attention to, especially at the critical juncture of middle-aged and elderly people, and they have to pay more attention. The same is true for Uncle Su, a 67-year-old native of Ningbo, although he always brags about his physical fitness when his buddies get together, but the real inspection report can't be fake.
One night in 2018, Uncle Su, who had eaten dinner, went out for a walk, and he felt unwell before he had walked far. Immediately returned the same way and prepared to slow down on the sofa in the living room.
Suddenly, an unprecedented feeling of dizziness hit, Uncle Su's vision began to blur, followed by the weakness of his whole body, he felt that he was being held tightly by an invisible giant hand, and then, his consciousness gradually blurred and fell into darkness.
At this moment, if it weren't for his son who happened to come home and found the scene in front of him, and called the emergency number in time, I'm afraid Uncle Su's life would have ended. Uncle Su, who was rushed to the hospital, was pushed into the operating room, and outside the door were anxiously waiting family members, everyone was silently praying that nothing would happen.
But the results of the hospital made everyone worry, which was a severe blood supply shortage to the brain caused by vascular plaque. Plaque means the risk of clogged blood vessels, as well as the threat of a range of cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke.
As an important marker of cardiovascular disease, vascular plaque poses a threat to human health that cannot be ignored. In modern society, with the acceleration of the pace of life and the change of dietary structure, the incidence of vascular plaque is increasing year by year.
Generally speaking, vascular plaque is mainly formed by the accumulation of fat, cholesterol, calcium and other substances on the blood vessel wall, when these plaques accumulate to a certain extent, it will lead to narrowing or even blockage of blood vessels, affecting the normal flow of blood, and then threatening human health.
First of all, vascular plaque can cause cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, which is one of the main causes of heart disease and stroke. When the arteries near the heart are narrowed by plaque, the blood supply to the heart becomes insufficient, which can cause coronary artery disease, angina, and in the worst cases, myocardial infarction.
In addition, when the arteries that supply blood to the brain are blocked or narrowed by plaque, a part of the brain can be damaged by a lack of oxygen, causing a stroke. These cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases not only have a great impact on the quality of life of patients, but may even be life-threatening.
Second, vascular plaque can also lead to peripheral arterial disease. When plaque forms in peripheral arteries in the body, especially in the legs, the reduced blood supply can cause pain when walking, fatigue, and in severe cases, even necrosis of limb tissue. Peripheral arterial disease not only affects the quality of daily life, but can lead to more serious complications such as the need for amputation as the disease progresses to an advanced stage.
Not only that, but vascular plaque can also trigger acute vascular events, such as the formation of an aneurysm. The presence of plaque weakens the blood vessel wall, which can form an aneurysm on the blood vessel wall due to long-term exposure to high blood pressure. If the aneurysm ruptures, it can cause severe internal bleeding and requires immediate treatment or it can be life-threatening.
After waking up, Uncle Su learned the true condition of his body, and regretted it for a while, and failed to pay attention to the abnormal phenomena of his body in the past.
The doctor advised Uncle Su to take Danshen tablets in order to clear the plaque in the blood vessels and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Hearing this, Uncle Su nodded frequently and said that he had memorized these doctor's instructions, and he would indeed take Danshen tablets on time and in the following days, looking forward to improving his body.
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, it has been a year. In this year, Uncle Su's life is almost inseparable from salvia tablets, three times a day, half an hour after meals, he will take them on time, and follow the rules just to be able to hear good news in the next physical examination.
However, fate always seems to like to joke, and the physical examination a year later did not go as Uncle Su wished. Although the plaque of the blood vessels has decreased, an unexpected problem has arisen.
Long-term use of Danshen tablets to clear blood vessels does have certain risks, especially the potential effects on kidney function. Salvia miltiorrhiza mainly improves blood circulation and treats cardiovascular diseases through its effect of invigorating blood circulation and removing blood stasis. Although Danshen tablets are considered to be an effective treatment for cardiovascular diseases in the short term, the effects of long-term use on physical health, especially kidney health, cannot be ignored.
First of all, the kidneys, as the main detoxification organ of the human body, shoulder the responsibility of removing metabolites and excess drugs from the body. When taking any medication for a long time, including salvia tablets, the kidneys need to work extra hard to process and flush out these foreign substances. Long-term excess burden can lead to decreased kidney function, as the metabolites of the drug may cause direct chemical damage to kidney tissue, affecting its ability to filter and detoxify.
Secondly, some of the ingredients in salvia may cause specific negative effects on the kidneys. For example, salvia contains water-soluble components such as tanshione, which need to be filtered and excreted by the kidneys in the body. If taken in excess, or if taken for a long time, these ingredients may accumulate in the body, increasing the burden on the kidneys, which may damage kidney function over time.
In addition, different individuals may have different risks of kidney damage due to differences in their responses to Danshen tablets. Some populations may have specific genetic predispositions that make them more sensitive to certain components in salvia tablets, which may increase the risk of kidney damage. In addition, if the individual has pre-existing kidney disease or insufficiency, long-term use of Danshen tablets may exacerbate the decline of kidney function.
Therefore, although Danshen tablets have some therapeutic effects, considering their potential kidney risks, they should be thoroughly evaluated before taking them for a long time. It is recommended to use it under the guidance of a physician and regularly monitor kidney function indicators, such as blood creatinine and urea nitrogen levels, as well as urine protein excretion, which are important indicators of kidney health. If you notice any abnormalities or feel unwell, you should consult your doctor immediately.
All in all, while TCM is widely trusted for its natural properties, that doesn't mean they're completely free of side effects. Especially in the case of long-term use, you should be more vigilant about potential health risks. In the case of salvia tablets, it may indeed cause problems of impaired kidney function when taken for a long time. Therefore, it is important to use Danshen tablets rationally under the guidance of medical professionals and maintain continuous monitoring of health conditions.