Traditional Chinese medicine classifies arteriosclerosis into the categories of “pulse numbness”, “blood stasis” and “phlegm turbidity”, and believes that its essence is the disorder of qi and blood circulation, and the blockage of meridians by phlegm and blood stasis. The following is a systematic analysis from the causes, pathogenesis, syndrome differentiation and treatment ideas:
1. Core pathogenesis: “root deficiency and superficial excess”
Root deficiency (root):
Qi deficiency: insufficient heart qi pushes weakly → blood circulation is stagnant
Yin deficiency: liver and kidney yin deficiency → pulse channels lose moisture and become stiff
Yang deficiency: spleen and kidney yang deficiency → water and moisture cannot be transformed into phlegm turbidity
Postural excess (pathological products):
Blood stasis: qi stagnation, cold coagulation, and heat toxicity cause blood to thicken and become stasis
Phlegm turbidity: overeating fat and sweet foods damages the spleen and stomach → phlegm and dampness are generated internally to block the meridians
📌 Key link: phlegm and blood stasis are intertwined and stuck to the inner wall of blood vessels, forming the “pulse stagnation” described by traditional Chinese medicine, which is highly consistent with the “atherosclerotic plaque” in modern medicine
II. Syndrome differentiation and symptom characteristics
Syndrome type Pathological characteristics Typical manifestations
Phlegm blocking collaterals Spleen deficiency produces phlegm, blocking the meridians Head feels heavy, chest tightness and nausea, thick and greasy tongue coating, slippery pulse
Qi stagnation and blood stasis Liver depression and qi stagnation, poor blood circulation Chest and flank pain, dark complexion, ecchymosis on the tongue, stringy and astringent pulse
Yin deficiency and blood stasis Yin fluid deficiency, blood sticking and stasis Dizziness, tinnitus, fever in the five hearts, red tongue with little coating, thin and rapid pulse
Qi deficiency and blood stasis Insufficient heart qi, unable to circulate blood Shortness of breath and fatigue, palpitations after activity, pale and fat tongue with teeth marks, deep and weak pulse
Cold stagnation and blood stasis Yang deficiency and cold stagnation, blood vessels are contracted Fear of cold and cold limbs, chest pain aggravated by cold, pale purple tongue, tight and astringent pulse
III. TCM intervention strategies
1. Treatment principle: Take both the symptoms and the root cause into consideration
In case of emergency, treat the symptoms: resolve phlegm, dispel blood stasis and dredge the collaterals (for phlegm and blood stasis that have already formed)
In case of slow treatment, treat the root cause: replenish qi/nourish yin/warm yang (adjust the constitution to prevent recurrence)
2. Application of classic prescriptions
Syndrome type Representative prescription Core drugs and effects
Phlegm blocking the collaterals Gualou Xiebai Banxia Decoction Gualou resolves phlegm and relieves chest tightness, Xiebai dredges yang and disperses stagnation
Qi stagnation and blood stasis Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction Peach kernel and safflower invigorate blood circulation, Bupleurum and Citrus aurantium promote qi circulation
Yin deficiency and blood stasis Qiju Dihuang Wan + Danshen Yin Lycium barbarum and Rehmannia glutinosa nourish yin, Danshen and sandalwood invigorate blood circulation without damaging yin
Qi deficiency and blood stasis Buyang Huanwu Decoction Astragalus invigorates qi (the dosage can reach 120g), Angelica sinensis and earthworm invigorate blood stasis and dredge the collaterals
Cold stagnation and blood stasis Angelica sinensis Sini Decoction Angelica sinensis nourishes blood, cinnamon twig warms and dredges, asarum dispels cold
3. Special treatments enhance efficacy
Acupuncture:
Acupoints: Neiguan (calming the mind and calming the nerves), Fenglong (key acupoint for resolving phlegm), Xuehai (activating blood circulation and regulating blood)
Operation: Balanced tonification and purgation method, retain the needle for 20 minutes, 3 times a week
Medicinal diet:
Hawthorn and coix seed porridge (15g hawthorn + 30g coix seed): resolve phlegm and reduce fat
Sanqi and Danshen tea (1g Sanqi powder + 5g Danshen brewed): remove blood stasis without hurting the body
Daoyin technique:
Ba Duanjin “Hands up to the sky to regulate the triple burner” + “Shaking the head and tail to remove heart fire”, daily morning exercises to regulate qi
IV. Comparison of Chinese and Western medicine mechanisms
TCM pathology Corresponding to changes in modern medicine Intervention targets
Phlegm turbidity (fat turbidity) Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) deposition Reduce LDL-C, oxidative stress
Blood stasis Platelet aggregation, increased fibrinogen Improve blood hypercoagulability
Vascular stagnation Vascular endothelial damage, reduced NO synthesis Protect endothelial function
Qi deficiency and weak propulsion Decreased cardiac output, microcirculatory disorders, enhanced myocardial contraction, improved perfusion
V. Key points for prevention and care
Dietary taboos:
❌ Avoid fatty and sweet foods (animal offal, fried foods) → prevent endogenous phlegm and dampness
❌ Avoid excessive salt (salt hurts kidney yin) → prevent accelerated vascular sclerosis
Emotional regulation:
Avoid anger (liver yang rises and consumes yin and blood) or depression (liver depression and qi stagnation lead to blood stasis)
Exercise principles:
Choose “movement with stillness” projects such as Tai Chi and Ba Duan Jin, and avoid strenuous exercise to consume qi
🌟 Key tips: The advantage of traditional Chinese medicine in treating arteriosclerosis lies in overall regulation – reducing plaque formation by correcting the “phlegm and stasis constitution”, rather than just targeting local lesions. It is often used in combination with Western medicine in clinical practice (such as statins + Chinese medicine for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis) to achieve “increasing efficacy and reducing toxicity”.
VI. Modern research support (evidence-based basis)
Mechanism of blood-activating and stasis-removing drugs:
Tanshinone ⅡA can inhibit the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (Nature Communications 2021)
Effects of phlegm-removing and turbidity-removing prescriptions:
Huanglian Wendan Decoction significantly reduces serum ox-LDL levels (Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine 2023)
It is recommended to use the medicine under the guidance of a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner and to regularly review carotid artery ultrasound to assess plaque changes. Early intervention can significantly delay the progression of the disease and even achieve “the turbidity and blood stasis disappear and the pulse channels are unblocked”!