Efficacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine in patients with acute myocardial infarction suffering from diabetes mellitus.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the ""real world"" effectiveness of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in patients with acute myocardial infarction suffering from diabetes mellitus (AMI+DM patients). METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study. During hospitalization, the ""exposure group"" was defined as patients who had a TCM injection for ≥ 7 d. During follow-up, the definition of the exposure group was application of a Chinese patent medicine or decoction of Chinese medicine for ≥ 28 d. General information (age, sex, contact details), TCM use and endpoint events of AMI+DM patients during hospitalization and follow-up were collected. The correlation between TCM and the end-point events of AMI + DM patients was analyzed using a multiple logistic regression method. RESULTS: A total of 479 AMI + DM patients were enrolled and 345 cases were followed up. During hospitalization, TCM, age, hypertension and use of an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) were associated with cardiac death. During follow-up, TCM was associated with cardiac death. TCM was a relevant factor for a composite endpoint of re-infarction and stroke. TCM, anti-thrombotic therapy and lipid-lowering therapy were related to acute heart failure. TCM, anti-thrombotic therapy, anti-MI therapy and ACEI/ARB use exhibited a strong correlation with re-hospitalization due to cardiovascular disease. CONCLUSION: TCM reduced the prevalence of cardiac death during hospitalization, and cardiac death, a composite endpoint of re-infarction and stroke, acute heart failure and re-hospitalization due to cardiovascular disease during follow-up.