A Novel Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Control Clinical Trial in High-Risk Hypertensive Subjects

Atherosclerosis (in particular stroke and heart attack) is the most important health issue in modernized society and high blood pressure is an important predisposing factor. Hypertensive subjects with other chronic disease such as diabetes mellitus or impaired renal function are particularly vulnerable to these atherosclerotic complications in spite of standard antihypertensive therapies. Danshen and Gegen are commonly used in Chinese materia medica as treatment for cardiac symptoms and atherosclerosis-related disorders. The objective of this study is to test Danshen and Gegen as an cardiovascular-protective adjunctive regimen to prevent high-risk hypertensive cohort from primary atherosclerosis.