Alternative Perspectives: How Chinese Medicine Understands Hypercholesterolemia

Full text for this resource is not available from the Research Repository.

O'Brien, Kylie A (2010) Alternative Perspectives: How Chinese Medicine Understands Hypercholesterolemia. Cholesterol, 2010 (2010). pp. 1-9. ISSN 2090-1283 (print) 2090-1291 (online)

Abstract

Treatment of cardiovascular disease, albeit under the auspices of other clinical descriptors to those described in western biomedicine, has a long history in China. Chinese Medicine (CM) is guided by unique philosophical underpinnings and theories. There are differences in how the heart is conceptualised traditionally in CM compared to biomedicine. This paper focusses on how hypercholesterolemia is understood from within the Chinese medical paradigm, including its aetiology, pathogenesis, and treatment. A brief overview of the key characteristics and theories of CM is given to provide context. Modern science has demonstrated that many Chinese herbs have cholesterol-lowering properties. Examples of research into individual herbs and medicinal formulae, combinations of herbs are presented. At a more sophisticated level, some researchers are challenging some of the very assumptions upon which CM is based, including applicability of CM theory to modern clinical entities such as hypercholesterolemia, and are seeking intersections of knowledge between CM and biomedicine that may extend CM theory.

Altmetric Badge

Item type Article
URI https://vuir.vu.edu.au/id/eprint/7661
DOI 10.1155/2010/723289 (external link)
Official URL http://www.hindawi.com/journals/chol/2010/723289/ (external link)
Subjects Historical > FOR Classification > 1102 Cardiorespiratory Medicine and Haematology
Historical > FOR Classification > 1104 Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Historical > Faculty/School/Research Centre/Department > School of Engineering and Science
Keywords ResPubID22899, ResPubID22951, Chinese medicine, Chinese herbs, hypercholesterolemia, cardiovascular, treatment
Citations in Scopus 6 - View on Scopus (external link)
Download/View statistics View download statistics for this item

Search Google Scholar (external link)

Repository staff login