Combination of TCM and Western medicine helping patients with heart failure

Local doctors are trying a combination of Western and traditional Chinese medicine for patients with heart failure and have achieved positive results, doctors said during a week-long health and science promotion activity.

Around the world, there are 22.5 million people suffering varying degrees of heart failure and 20 percent of the population have heart diseases, which can lead to heart failure.

In China, there are 290 million people with cardiovascular disease, including 10 million people suffering heart failure. The incidence of chronic heart failure is 9 in every 1,000 people.

“Heart failure has a high mortality and its five-year survival rate is lower than most cancers,” said Dr Fan Huimin from Shanghai East Hospital. “The death rate for one year after people are hospitalized for heart failure is up to 38 percent.”

“To further control heart failure, doctors from different departments are cooperating with each other to offer management, treatment and intervention to patients and new technologies have also be developed, such as the introduction of traditional Chinese medicine.”

A trial launched at Shanghai East Hospital has achieved good results after doctors used both TCM and cutting-edge Western medicine for patients.

“Patients’ heart function has improved, their hospitalization periods have been shortened and medical costs have also dropped,” Fan said. “Patients’ life quality has improved significantly.”

The hospital also set up a disease management platform for patients with heart failure with the participation of doctors, general physicians, family members, volunteers and patients, who can undergo regular monitoring, receive education and communicate with doctors and other patients for better intervention and management effects.