Indigenous drugs and atherosclerosis

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major health problem worldwide and its increasing prevalence in younger age groups is of serious concern. Precipitating factors include changes in lifestyles, food fads and stress, as well as the impact of longevity resulting from the control and prevention of communicable diseases. Dietary practices can often lead to increased levels of lipids in blood or trigger an underlying disposition to atherosclerosis. Hence, dietary modification has been an important method for the management of CAD, with the aim of lowering lipid levels. However, long-term trials have shown that this approach reduces cholesterol and triglycerides only moderately. Drug therapy with clofibrate, cholestyramine, etc., has been successful but some disadvantages limit their long-term use. An alternative approach to the treatment of atherosclerosis has been the use of indigenous drugs. This article reviews some of the drugs of the traditional Indian system of medicine, Ayurveda, which have been shown to possess antiatherogenic properties. (c) 2001 Prous Science. All rights reserved.