Trial reportPloS one2015
Salvia Miltiorrhiza Root Water-Extract (Danshen) Has No Beneficial Effect on Cardiovascular Risk Factors. A Randomized Double-Blind Cross-Over Trial.
Trial report in PloS one, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT01563770 (A Double Blind, Randomized Placebo-controlled Cross-over Study on the Cardiovascular Effects of Salvia Miltiorrhiza Extract), which is not on this map. Cited by 10 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
A Double Blind, Randomized Placebo-controlled Cross-over Study on the Cardiovascular Effects of Salvia Miltiorrhiza Extract (Danshen) in Patients With Hypertension and Hyperlipidemia.
Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 15 citations in OpenAlex.
- Systematic review of Chinese medicine for the treatment of atherosclerosis.Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine · 2025Pooled it
- Chinese patent medicine for atherosclerosis: a systematic review and Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan · 2024Pooled it
- Trial
- Article
- Therapeutic effects ofExperimental and therapeutic medicine · 2018Article
- Inflammation in the subcutaneous adipose tissue does not attenuate endothelial function in subjects with diabetes mellitus and subjects with dyslipidaemia and hypertension: A cross-sectional study.Endocrinology, diabetes & metabolism · 2018Article
- Reversal of doxorubicin-resistance byOncology letters · 2017Article
- Efficacy of Chinese herbal medicine for stroke modifiable risk factors: a systematic review.Chinese medicine · 2017Review
- Tanshinone IIA pretreatment attenuates ischemia/reperfusion-induced renal injury.Experimental and therapeutic medicine · 2016Article
- Panax ginseng and salvia miltiorrhiza supplementation abolishes eccentric exercise-induced vascular stiffening: a double-blind randomized control trial.BMC complementary and alternative medicine · 2016Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
12 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeDanshen is the dried root extract of the plant Salvia Miltiorrhiza and it is used as traditional Chinese medicinal herbal product to prevent and treat atherosclerosis. However, its efficacy has not been thoroughly investigated. This study evaluates the effect of Danshen on hyperlipidemia and hypertension, two well known risk factors for the development of atherosclerosis.
methodsThis was a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover study performed at a tertiary referral center. Participants were recruited by newspaper advertisement and randomized to treatment with Danshen (water-extract of the Salvia Miltiorrhiza root) or placebo for 4 consecutive weeks. There was a wash out period of 4 weeks. Of the 20 analysed participants, 11 received placebo first. Inclusion criteria were: age 40-70 years, hyperlipidemia and hypertension. At the end of each treatment period, plasma lipids were determined (primary outcome), 24 hours ambulant blood pressure measurement (ABPM) was performed, and vasodilator endothelial function was assessed in the forearm.
resultsLDL cholesterol levels were 3.82±0.14 mmol/l after Danshen and 3.52±0.16 mmol/l after placebo treatment (mean±SE; p<0.05 for treatment effect corrected for baseline). Danshen treatment had no effect on blood pressure (ABPM 138/84 after Danshen and 136/87 after placebo treatment). These results were further substantiated by the observation that Danshen had neither an effect on endothelial function nor on markers of inflammation, oxidative stress, glucose metabolism, hemostasis and blood viscosity.
conclusionFour weeks of treatment with Danshen (water-extract) slightly increased LDL-cholesterol without affecting a wide variety of other risk markers. These observations do not support the use of Danshen to prevent or treat atherosclerosis.
trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT01563770.
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