Danshen and Gegen (D\&G) are two traditional herbal medicines used for cardiac symptoms in ancient Chinese medicinal literature. Recent studies suggest their therapeutic effects in blood pressure and lipid-lowering, anti-oxidation, microcirculation-promoting, foam cells-modulation and have beneficial effects on atherogenic process in coronary patients.
To evaluate the potential of D\&G in primary atherosclerosis prevention in high risk hypertension. Patients with high risk hypertension associated with left ventricular hypertrophy, diabetes mellitus and renal insufficiency were randomized to receive D\&G herbal capsules (2gm/day), or (1gm/day) or identical placebo capsules in double-blind and parallel fashion for 12 months on top of their anti-hypertensive treatments. Flow-mediated dilation (endothelium-dependent dilation, FMD) and nitroglycerin-induced dilation (endothelium-independent dilation, NTG) of brachial artery, and carotid intima-media thickness (surrogate atherosclerosis marker, IMT) were measured by high resolution B-mode ultrasound.
