Content Sources:
1. Wang Mingzhu, Zhang Lihua, Li Xiaoyang. Research Progress on the Antihypertensive Effect and Mechanism of Astragalus membranaceus[J]. Chinese Journal of Experimental Pharmaceutics, 2019, 25(17): 217-222.
2. Zhao Chengjun, Sun Xiaofang, Chen Lidong. Research Progress on Antioxidant Effect of Astragalus and Its Effect on Cardiovascular Diseases[J]. Chinese Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2020, 55(1): 8-12.
3. Liu Ziwei, Li Xiuyan. Research Progress on the Therapeutic Effect of Astragalus active ingredients on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases[J]. Modern Chinese Medicine Research and Practice, 2021, 35(2): 146-150.
Sister Chen, a 53-year-old native of Shanxi, has been dealing with all kinds of bottles and cans for many years, and has complained a lot during the period, complaining that she is a medicine jar, and even tried to stop the medicine without authorization, but every time she entered the hospital because of unauthorized actions, she had to take medicine honestly because of the number of times.
On June 2, 2017, she got up early in the morning, and after taking the medicine, she went downstairs to buy vegetables at the vegetable market. On the way back, she passed by a pharmacy, and a large poster at the door attracted her attention, which said that astragalus had arrived, and patients with blood pressure were welcome to enter the store for consultation. After reading it, Sister Chen walked in with a half-believing attitude.
The clerk patiently explained to her the principle that astragalus water is good for controlling blood pressure, and she nodded frequently as she listened. In recent years, scientific research has shown that astragalus has a certain antihypertensive effect. The mechanism may be related to a variety of bioactive substances such as saponins and flavonoids in astragalus.
These ingredients can reduce blood pressure by regulating the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems and improving blood circulation. Moreover, astragalus can also reduce the inflammatory response of vascular endothelial cells, improve the elasticity of blood vessels, and further promote the reduction of blood pressure through antioxidant effects.
After understanding the principle clearly, Sister Chen bought some astragalus and went home. When I first started drinking astragalus water, I only felt that it tasted bitter, but after drinking it for a long time, I got used to it. The husband watched her start tinkering with these unknown medicinal materials again, and only felt helpless, Sister Chen has always been obsessed with all kinds of health care products, no matter how many times the family said it, it was to no avail, and the big guy had to follow her wishes.
After a month, she felt that her body was a lot lighter, and this change suddenly made her feel refreshed, so she went to the pharmacy to buy a lot of astragalus, and filled a cabinet full. On the evening of June 27, she was busy with the family's dinner, when suddenly her heart began to beat wildly, and the sound of her heartbeat was clearly audible, as if someone was pinching her neck, and her breathing became difficult.
After a few minutes, the situation stabilized as if nothing had happened. Sister Chen was puzzled, but she couldn't understand what was going on. When she went to bed that night, she lay on the bed tossing and turning and couldn't sleep well. It has been tossing and turning at two or three o'clock in the morning. For four or five days in a row, she suffered from insomnia.
On July 5th, she went upstairs after buying vegetables, obviously there were only three floors, and she felt very strenuous every step she took, and she was weak to speak, and she could even be said to be angry. Not only that, but she also felt that she had become more impatient, always losing her temper because of some trivial things, and her family was overwhelmed by her.
She couldn't be tossed anymore, so she went to the same clinic last time to inquire about the situation. The other party said that she might be weak and could not be replenished, and prescribed a few flavors of Chinese herbal medicine conditioning. Looking at this black medicinal juice, Sister Chen only felt a headache. Unexpectedly, after insisting on drinking for a while, these insomnia and headaches were cured. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief and continue to take astragalus water.
On September 3, she got up early and went downstairs to exercise, and on the way back, she felt that she had difficulty breathing, her chest seemed to be tightly pinched, her brows were tightly locked, and fine beads of sweat oozed from her forehead. She tried to breathe heavily, but the sound of her breath was rapid, and it sounded like pulling a bellows. Sister Chen realized that something was wrong and was about to call for help, but she couldn't make any sound in her throat.
The next second, she fell to the ground. The good Samaritan found out and rushed the person to the hospital. ECG reveals sinus tachycardia, T-wave inversion, and Q-wave abnormalities. Cardiac ultrasound showed segmental motion abnormalities in the left ventricular wall and enlargement of the left atrium and left ventricle. Considering the patient's previous history of hypertension, the comprehensive diagnosis of coronary atherosclerotic heart disease and acute myocardial infarction was made.
Sinus tachycardia is a condition in which the heart rate of the sinus node originates abnormally high. In adults, a normal heart rate is usually between 60 and 100 beats per minute. Sinus tachycardia is called sinus tachycardia when the heart rate exceeds 100 beats per minute and this acceleration is caused by increased activity in the sinus node itself.
After the operation, Sister Chen finally turned the corner. After she came to her senses, she learned about the condition of her body, her expression became confused, and she asked puzzledly: "I have been insisting on taking blood pressure medication all these years, why can't I escape the fate of myocardial infarction, is it possible that as long as I am a patient with high blood pressure, I have to go through this catastrophe, so what is the point of such active treatment?" ”
Listening to her complaint, the doctor was also confused. In order to find out the truth of the matter, the doctor began to ask the other party about his habits. It was found that she insisted on medication, had a light and controlled diet, usually exercised habits, slept well, did not smoke or drink, and did not seem to find any possible risk factors. After talking, the doctor became nervous, which detail did he ignore?
At this time, Sister Chen confessed that she had taken astragalus water for a period of time. After listening to her description, the doctor had a look of sudden realization and said, "I know what the problem is, in fact, it is the astragalus water that is causing the trouble." Since you ignore these two points while taking astragalus water, this leads to a heart attack. Although astragalus is indeed beneficial for controlling blood pressure, if you do not pay attention to these two key points, not only the effect is not good, but it may even be life-threatening! ”
As one of the Chinese herbal medicines, Astragalus has always been widely used for its effects of replenishing qi and immune, diuretic and lowering blood pressure. However, patients with high blood pressure may increase the risk of heart attack if they neglect certain important things while taking astragalus water.
First of all, dose control of astragalus is extremely important. Although astragalus has a certain antihypertensive effect, its mechanism of action is complex and it is not a simple antihypertensive drug. At a certain dose, astragalus may have a certain protective effect on the heart, but if the dose is too large, it may backfire and increase the burden on the heart.
This is because astragalus can not only replenish qi and immunity, but also promote blood circulation and increase heart output. For people who already have high blood pressure, the heart itself may already have a certain degree of damage or insufficiency, and if the use of astragalus in large doses is not properly controlled, it may cause rapid fluctuations in blood pressure, which in turn will increase the burden on the heart and increase the risk of myocardial infarction.
In addition, the interaction of astragalus with other drugs is also a factor that cannot be ignored. Patients with high blood pressure often need to take antihypertensive drugs for a long time to control their condition, and astragalus, as a Chinese herbal medicine, may interact with Western medicine when taken at the same time, affecting the effect of the drug.
For example, astragalus may affect the metabolism of certain antihypertensive drugs, causing the concentration of antihypertensive drugs in the body to increase or decrease, which in turn affects its antihypertensive effect. In the worst-case scenario, this interaction can lead to instability in blood pressure, prompting increased fluctuations in blood pressure and an increased burden on the heart, which increases the risk of myocardial infarction.
In addition, astragalus may also interact with other drugs used to treat cardiovascular diseases, and this interaction may increase the side effects of the drug or decrease the efficacy of the drug, thus affecting the overall treatment effect of the patient.
Taking into account the above factors, patients with high blood pressure must strictly control the dosage and consult a doctor or pharmacist to ensure that they do not have adverse interactions with any medications they are taking. Patients with high blood pressure should also regularly monitor blood pressure changes when using astragalus, stop using it immediately once abnormalities are found, and seek help from a doctor.
In general, patients with high blood pressure must pay attention to controlling the dosage of Astragalus Water and paying close attention to possible interactions with other drugs to reduce the risk of myocardial infarction due to improper use of Astragalus. Through this method, not only can the medicinal value of astragalus be effectively utilized, but also the health of hypertensive patients can be guaranteed under the premise of ensuring safety.