A common Chinese herb could hold the key to improving the outcome for heart attack patients.
Astragalus has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years to build strength and promote longevity.
Now experts at Newcastle University in the UK have found that a plant-based compound purified from the product, known as TA-65, significantly reduces inflammation and, unlike current cardiovascular treatments, does not negatively impact immunity.
Older patients given TA-65 for more than a year after a heart attack showed increased lymphocytes – a type of white blood cell that help the body fight infection and disease – improving their immunity, a study published in GeroScience reveals.
In addition, patients treated with the drug experienced far less complications, or issues such as chest or joint pains, following their heart attack.
Ioakim Spyridopoulos, a professor of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Gerontology at Newcastle University, led the study, working with the heart team at The James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.
He said: “It has become widely recognised that inflammation plays a key role in the formation, progression, and rupture of a coronary plaque, which induces heart attack, but, importantly, it is also a major risk factor for further complications.
“Reducing inflammation is, therefore, considered a key treatment target following a heart attack for patients and our study showed that TA-65 reduced inflammation by up to 62%.
“While some potent anti-inflammatory drugs have been shown to improve outcomes after heart attacks, they result in suppression of the immune system and increase the risk of severe infections.
Professor Ioakim Spyridopoulos
“In our study, the widely available drug TA-65 was shown to reduce inflammation but also appears to improve immunity by increasing a patient’s immune cells.”
An estimated 17.9 million lives are lost every year to cardiovascular diseases. They include coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, rheumatic heart disease and other conditions, and are the leading cause of death globally.
Scientists, including experts at The James Cook University Hospital, carried out a randomised controlled pilot study in which patients were given a placebo drug or TA-65.
The study was carried out on 90 patients aged 65 and over and performed as a Clinical Trial for Medicines under the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency conditions.
Patients had blood measurements taken at baseline, six months, and a year, to assess the study outcomes. Participants were reviewed regularly in the clinic to check for any side effects.
TA-65 is a patented, plant-based compound that helps maintain or rebuild telomeres – distinctive structures found at the ends of chromosomes. It is isolated from Astragalus.
Those who received the TA-65 drug had few adverse effects, such as a fever or a new medical problem, following their heart attack. In fact, the study revealed they showed 30% less adverse effects than the group given the placebo.
Professor Spyridopoulos, who also works at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “If we can show that TA-65 improves the clinical outcomes of patients who have suffered a heart attack, on top of modern treatment options, it will become an important addition to patients’ medical care.”
The researchers are keen to conduct a larger clinical trial focusing on whether TA-65 reduces adverse cardiac events, such as more heart attacks or even death.
Dr David Austin, Consultant Cardiologist at The James Cook University Hospital, who was an author on the research paper, said: “The James Cook University Hospital’s heart unit serves more than 1.5 million people and has an excellent reputation.
“Our partnership with Newcastle University in this research study is part of our drive to continually improve treatment options for patients.”
The independent study was funded by TA Science, a company that makes the TA-65 drug, and was an investigator-initiated trial, meaning the company had no say in how the research was conducted or analysed.
