Regular exercise is one of the best tools to strengthen the heart muscles.
Both aerobic and strength training are necessary to keep your weight in check, as well as to control the three highs: blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases (heart attacks and stroke), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma) and diabetes, killed at least 43 million people in 2021, equivalent to three-quarters of non-pandemic-related deaths globally.
An estimated 19.8 million people died from cardiovascular diseases in 2022, representing approximately 32% of all global deaths.
Of these deaths, 85% were due to heart attack and stroke.
“We need a solution to slow down or prevent the trend as we cannot completely reverse it.
“Besides exercise, diet and nutrition are also key, but in low- and middle-income countries, our awareness is not there on how to take care of our health,” said UCSI University’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences biochemist Associate Professor Ts Dr Tan Chung Keat.
Looking to TCM
While public awareness of heart health is growing, consumers often face a trust gap when it comes to herbal or natural supplements, as most products in the market rely on traditional claims, but lack scientific validation.
Often, the studies are focused on a single plant or ingredient to validate outcomes.
In a Malaysian first, Assoc Prof Tan and his team conducted a clinical trial on a local traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) heart health supplement, approved by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA).
The formula blends eight of the following herbs into a liquid supplement designed for rapid absorption:
- Alternanthera sessilis (red sessile joyweed): Traditionally used to help clear blood vessels and reduce lipid build-up
- Astragalus: Believed to improve circulation and support cardiac function
- Panax notoginseng (tian qi in Chinese): Known to enhance blood vessel regeneration
- Codonopsis pilosula: Helps to boost oxygenation and mitigate fatigue
- Ligusticum striatum (chuanxiong in Chinese): Traditionally used to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis
- Salvia miltiorrhiza (danshen in Chinese): Included for its potential to support a healthy circulatory system
- Ginger: Added for its anti-inflammatory properties, and
- Glycyrrhiza uralensis (liquorice root): Often used in TCM to balance other herbs, and research suggests it may enhance cardiac muscle regeneration.
The team chose to study markers closely related to cardiovascular health.
Reflecting real-world practice
The 12-week open label study, conducted in November 2024, measured cholesterol levels, inflammatory markers and the overall well-being of participants, who consumed the formulation twice a day.
The 50 participants in the study were randomly selected from different states across Malaysia.
The majority were in the 40-49 age group, with 32% on hypertensive drugs (for high blood pressure) and 12% on statins to lower blood lipids.
“We designed the study to reflect real-world usage.
“Without drastically changing their diet or lifestyle, participants saw results simply by adding the supplement,” said Assoc Prof Tan, who led the study and shared the results with the media recently.
The key overall findings demonstrated the following:
- 38.1% reduction in triglycerides
- 25.6% reduction in metalloproteinase-9 (a key marker linked to blood vessel damage)
- 16.5% reported an improvement in the visual analogue scale.
- 14.1% reduction in low-density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad” cholesterol)
- 8.6% reduction in high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP is a blood test that measures general inflammation in the body, particularly its link to increased risk of cardiovascular disease).
He said: “The outcomes exceeded our expectations.
“Not only did key biomarkers improve, but participants also reported feeling noticeably better.
“We measured their quality of life via participant feedback targeted at the heart function – how difficult participants found climbing up stairs or lifting heavy objects, how fast or slow they walked, if they were emotionally disturbed by their current heart ailment, etc – 13.8% of participants reported an improved heart-related quality of life.
“Perhaps if the formulation is continued beyond 12 weeks, there might be better changes.”
Start early
Many people may be unaware of their NCD indicators, especially when they’re young.
If someone in the 30-40 age group does get diagnosed with an NCD, the doctor will probably not prescribe any medication, just lifestyle changes, because the young body can usually cope with the onslaught to it.
“But when you’re in your 50s and 60s, the body will not be able to cope with NCDs, so the doctors will prescribe medications.
“If you’re young and have moved into this ‘orange’ zone where you are showing early signs of NCDs, why not prevent these conditions from progressing by making lifestyle changes and taking proven herbal remedies?
“For the elderly, they don’t have to give up western medications – they can still take herbal remedies as a complementary measure, but speak to their doctors to adjust the medication dosage if needed,” said Assoc Prof Tan.
He added: “The formula is not a permanent solution as all these NCDs have been built from lifestyle and diet.
“If patients want to reduce or stop taking supplements, they have to do the hard work.”
On the safety of the formulation, he said that it was safe to consume in the long term.
“Our participants did not report any adverse side effects from consuming two sachets daily as the formulation is already diluted.
“Similar to drinking green tea, just because it has beneficial properties, you shouldn’t overdose on it – then it becomes toxic.
“My only advice is to leave a two-hour gap from the time you consume your prescription medications before you take the formulation.
“The efficacy of most modern medicine usually drops after two to four hours, and since we don’t know how they will interact with TCM, it’s best to space out the intervals,” he said.
According to industry estimates, Malaysia’s herbal wellness market is projected to exceed RM2 billion by 2027.
Yet, only a small fraction of products in this category are supported by formal clinical trials.
“Consumers are smart. They ask questions. They search.
“If you’re not backed by evidence, you’ll be left behind,” said entrepreneur and Atomic Group founder Jon Lai.
“We welcome others in the industry to join us in raising the bar.”
The study is expected to be published in an international journal at the end of October (2025).
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