Status of Herbal Drugs in Cardiovascular Research: A Review

Globally, cardiovascular diseases (CVD) constitute a leading cause of mortality. Heart disease in India occurs 10 to 15 years earlier than in the west. One fifth of the deaths in India are from coronary heart disease (CHD). The global burden of disease due to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) is escalating, principally due to a sharp rise in the developing countries which are experiencing rapid health transition. More than 2000 plants have been listed in the Traditional (Herbal/Alternative) systems of medicine and some of these are providing comprehensive relief to the people suffering from cardio-vascular diseases, specially “hyperlipidemia” and “ischemic heart disease”. WHO reports indicate that around eighty percent of the global population still relies on botanical drugs and several herbal medicines have advanced to clinical use in modern times. This review work explains chemical and pharmacological status of various cardioprotective plants including phytoconstituents responsible for cardioprotection, pharmacological screening model and mechanism involved in cardioprotection.