Prevention Of Atheromatous Heart Disease

Introduction

For the first time, an Indian plant known as Aloe vera belonging to the Liliacee family along with the Husk of Isabgol, was tried on five thousand patients who had proved ischaemic heart disease due to atherosclerosis and the above two herbal medicines proved to be very effective when mixed with wheat flour paste before preparing the bread. This plant; Aloe vera, is used in Indian medicine as a tonic, purgative, aphrodisiac, antihelminthic, in various opthalmological disorders, enlargement of spleen, various forms of hepatitis, vomiting, fever due to bronchitis, erysipelas, skin disorders, asthma, leprosy, jaundice, strangury, as a carminative, various musculoskeletal disorders, menstrual suppression and various other nonspecific disorders.

Table I

Table II

Table IV
Total Serum Cholesterol (Normal 125-285 Mgm%)

Table V
Serum Triglycerides (Normal Level 40-150 Mgm%)

Table VI
Total Lipids (Normal Value 450-850 Mgm%)

Table VII
HDL Cholesterol (Normal Level 25 Mgm% to 75 Mgm%)

The plant has never been tried in the prevention of atherosclerotic heart disease. The other substance, Husk of Isabgol, in Indian medicine is mainly used to increase the bulk of faeces in constipation. This study is mainly based on its antiatherosclerotic properties.

Materials And Methods

Out of 5'000 patients, 3167 were diabetics; 2572 patients had a history of smoking 10 to 15 cigarettes per day, for about five years; 2151 patients had evidence of hypertension which was not renal in origin. Out of these 2151 hypertensives, 1360 had mild hypertension and 791 patients had moderate hypertension. The patients, who had unstable angina, past history of myocardial infarction, severe hypertension, severe diabetics & patients on insulin therapy, history of left ventricular failure, gout, were not included in the study. Out of 1065 male non-diabetics, 912 had family history of hyperlipidemia and out of 768 female non-diabetic patients, 454 patients were having family history of hyperlipidemia. All 5000 patients were instructed not to consume alcohol in any form during the study. Smoking was also not allowed during study period.

All 5'000 patients were instructed to take 100 gms of fresh flesh gelatin of the plant Aloe vera and 20 gms of Husk of Isabgol mixed with wheat flour to prepare the bread. These breads were consumed at lunch and dinner. Apart from this, the strict dietary schedule and the drugs, which these patients were already taking, in the form of beta blockers, verapamil, nifedipine, isosorbide dinitrate, sulphonylureas, digoxin and diuretics and B-complex, were asked to continue and report weekly. All these patients were assessed clinically and biochemically.

Table VIII
Tread Mill Test Reading After One Year of Treatment

Table IX
Serum Cholesterol Levels Returned After Three Months (160-240 Mgm%)

Table X
Serum Trigylcerides Returned After Three Months (50-90 Mgm%)

Table XI
Total Lipids After Three Months of Treatment

Table XII
HDL Cholesterol (Normal 50-75 Mgm) After Three Months

Table XIII
Blood Sugar Levels Before & After Treatmet

Table XIV
Drug Therapy

Results

None of the patients suffered fresh myocardial infarction during the study. The lipid profile also started improving after three months of institution of therapy (Table IX).

Out of 5000 patients, 4652 patients had their normal levels of serum cholesterol ranging from 160 Mgm to 240 Mgm%, serum triglycerides from 50-90 Mgm% (Table X).

Total lipids from 500 Mgm to 800 Mgm% (Table XI), HDL cholesterol ranging from 50 Mgm to 75 Mgm% (Table XII).

Out of 3167 diabetic patients, the blood sugar values, fasting and post parendial, started coming down to normal levels (Table XIII) except in 177 patients, and all the oral hypoglycemic agents had to be withdrawn by the end of two months of therapy. On the contrary, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, isosorbide dinitrate and diuretics, etc., which the patients were taking for hypertension and angina control, could not be withdrawn completely (Table XIV) but their doses substantially reduced to half of the quantity which they were taking. Similarly the hypertensive patients did not show any significant change in their blood pressure levels. Total number of patients who did not respond to treatment were 525 (348 ischaemic and 177 diabetics out of 5000 patients).

Discussion

To conclude, the Indian plant Aloe vera, when mixed with the Husk of Isabgol, was given to the patients of atherosclerotic heart disease, there was a definite and substantial improvement (about 95%) in their clinical profile apart from biochemical changes and ECG tracings. These two substances need further evaluation to find out the exact mechanism of action on atherosclerosis.

Acknowledgements