Traditional Chinese medicine for activating blood circulation and detoxifying in unstable angina pectoris: A systematic review and meta-analysis

ObjectiveThe purpose of this review was to evaluate the effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine for activating blood circulation and detoxifying (ABCD) in patients with unstable angina pectoris.MethodsWe performed an electronic literature search of six medical databases for relevant articles published up to December 2014. Randomized controlled trials that compared ABCD Chinese medicine (alone or alongside conventional drugs) with conventional drugs or other Chinese medicines alone were included. A meta-analysis was performed for the following outcome measures: reduction of angina symptoms, electrocardiogram improvement, blood lipid levels, inflammatory factor levels, and plasma fibrinogen levels.ResultsIn total, 11 moderate- to low-quality studies involving 686 patients were included. The evidence indicated that ABCD Chinese medicine exhibited superior effectiveness in relieving angina symptoms compared with conventional drugs [relative risk, 1.23; 95% confidence interval, 1.05–1.44]; however, electrocardiogram improvement was not very significant (relative risk, 1.21; 95% confidence interval, 0.91–1.62). Moreover, ABCD Chinese medicine exhibited superior anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, and lipid-lowering effects compared with other medicines.ConclusionsWithin the methodological limitations of the included studies, our results suggest that ABCD Chinese medicine is beneficial for the treatment of unstable angina pectoris.