Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2026 Mar;51(6):1537-1544. doi: 10.19540/j.cnki.cjcmm.20251215.501.
ABSTRACT
In the field of cardiovascular diseases, chronic heart failure(CHF), as an increasingly serious health challenge, is often intertwined with anxiety disorders, forming a complex clinical comorbidity. The incidence of anxiety gradually increases with the progression of heart failure, significantly reducing patients' quality of life and aggravating the overall disease burden. Modern medicine not only focuses on the pathophysiological mechanisms of CHF but has also gradually emphasized the bidirectional relationship between CHF and psychological states. The TCM theory of heart-Yin deficiency provides a distinctive theoretical perspective for elucidating the complex associations underlying such mind-body comorbidity and offers unique advantages in the treatment of CHF with comorbid anxiety. Based on the theory of heart-Yin deficiency, this article systematically explores the intrinsic pathological mechanisms by which CHF induces anxiety symptoms, as well as corresponding TCM treatment strategies. A pathogenic model is proposed in which heart-Yin deficiency leads to "failure to control deficiency fire, scorching the collaterals and disturbing the spirit", "blood stasis with collateral damage, resulting in insufficient nourishment of the spirit and vessels", and "aggregation of phlegm, stasis, and toxins, causing concurrent impairment of the heart and spirit". This model elucidates the intrinsic associations with modern medical mechanisms such as neuroendocrine dysregulation, inflammatory and oxidative stress, and gut microbiota imbalance, highlighting the central role of heart-Yin deficiency in disease progression. With respect to treatment, guided by the principle of "nourishing Yin and calming the spirit", this article systematically analyzes the multiple effects of Chinese herbal compound prescriptions and acupuncture and moxibustion therapies in improving cardiac function and alleviating anxiety symptoms, aiming to provide a theoretical basis and practical guidance for the clinical management of anxiety in patients with CHF.
PMID:42011603 | DOI:10.19540/j.cnki.cjcmm.20251215.501