Traditional Chinese medicine integrated with cardiac rehabilitation addresses inflammation, autonomic dysfunction, and psychological disordersTraditional Chinese medicine may help patients recover from heart attacks

Frontiers in Medicine Published August 19, 2026 DOI ↗ Editorial oversight: Dr. Amelia Tan, PhD · Internal Medicine & Chronic Disease

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Key Takeaway

Consider TCM as a complementary approach to cardiac rehabilitation to manage inflammation and autonomic dysfunction.

This narrative review explores the role of Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) integrated with cardiac rehabilitation (CR) for patients following myocardial infarction or other cardiovascular events. The synthesis focuses on components including Traditional Chinese exercise (TCE), Chinese herbal medicine (CHM), and acupuncture.

The authors suggest that TCE may serve as a bridging therapy to facilitate safe rehabilitation in deconditioned populations before standard aerobic training begins. Additionally, CHM is noted for potential advantages in managing metabolic and psychological comorbidities when conventional pharmacotherapy is insufficient. Acupuncture and acupoint stimulation are highlighted for their role in modulating autonomic function and relieving postoperative angina or myocardial ischemia without increasing cardiac burden.

The authors acknowledge significant limitations, including inconsistent syndrome classification standards and a lack of high-grade evidence. While the synthesis suggests TCM can complement CR to address residual risks like chronic inflammation and psychological disorders, these conclusions are based on narrative synthesis rather than primary trials. Clinical application should be approached with caution due to the low certainty of current evidence.

How this fits prior evidence

This review addresses a gap in managing non-pharmacological comorbidities following myocardial infarction. While previous coverage noted that SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists show comparable efficacy for MACE in patients with T2D and MI, this narrative review explores how TCM components like acupuncture and herbal medicine may address additional issues such as autonomic dysfunction and psychological disorders.

Recovering from a heart attack or major heart surgery is physically and mentally exhausting. While standard rehabilitation is the norm, some patients struggle with lingering issues like chronic inflammation, nerve system problems, or psychological distress that are hard to treat with standard medicine alone.

A review of current evidence suggests that Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can offer extra support during this recovery. This includes specific exercises, herbal medicines, and acupuncture. For example, certain traditional exercises might help patients who are too weak for intense aerobic training start their recovery safely. Acupuncture may also help ease chest pain after surgery without putting extra strain on the heart.

While these methods show promise for managing complications like persistent chest pain or stress, it is important to note that the evidence is currently not very strong. There are still inconsistent standards in how these treatments are categorized. Because of this, patients should talk to their doctors about how these complementary options might fit into their specific care plan.

What this means for you:

Traditional Chinese medicine may help manage inflammation and stress during heart recovery, but more high-quality research is needed.

Common questions

What parts of Traditional Chinese medicine could help my heart recovery?

Several components of Traditional Chinese medicine can play a role. This includes Traditional Chinese exercise to help people who are physically weak start their rehabilitation, herbal medicines for issues that do not respond well to standard drugs, and acupuncture or acupoint stimulation to help with chest pain and nerve function.

Can these treatments be safe for someone after a heart attack?

The review suggests that techniques like acupuncture can help relieve chest pain and improve nerve function without increasing the burden on your heart. However, because this was a narrative review rather than a large clinical trial, you should always consult your doctor to see if these methods are safe for your specific condition.

What are the limitations of using these treatments right now?

The current evidence is not very strong because there is a lack of high-grade data and inconsistent standards in how these treatments are classified. While they may help with inflammation or psychological issues, more research is needed to confirm exactly how well they work compared to standard care.

Study Details

Study typeSystematic review

EvidenceLevel 1

PublishedAug 2026

View Original Abstract ↓

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a major global public health burden. Annually in the United States, over one million patients undergo arduous cardiac rehabilitation (CR) after experiencing cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction (MI), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), coronary artery bypass grafting, cardiac valve surgery, and heart transplantation. Although CR can reduce mortality, it fails to fully address residual risks, including chronic inflammation, autonomic dysfunction, and psychological disorders. Meanwhile, low patient participation and completion rates remain a major clinical challenge. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) shows multi-target cardioprotective effects that can effectively complement CR. This review focuses on the theoretical compatibility, multi-target mechanisms, and clinical application of TCM integrated with CR. Clinically, TCM effectively compensates for the limitations of conventional CR. Traditional Chinese exercise (TCE) acts as an optimal bridging therapy to facilitate safe rehabilitation initiation in deconditioned populations prior to standard aerobic training. The application of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) in complex metabolic and psychological comorbidities refractory to conventional pharmacotherapy yields prominent advantages in CR. During inpatient and early outpatient rehabilitation, acupuncture and acupoint stimulation modulate autonomic function, relieving postoperative angina and myocardial ischemia without increasing cardiac burden. Despite promising prospects, inconsistent syndrome classification standards and inadequate high-grade evidence remain obstacles to its global clinical adoption. This review therefore elaborates on the theoretical rationale and clinical evidence to promote the integration of TCM-CR as a novel holistic regimen for CVD rehabilitation.

Traditional Chinese medicine integrated with cardiac rehabilitation addresses inflammation, autonomic dysfunction, and psychological disordersTraditional Chinese medicine may help patients recover from heart attacks

How this fits prior evidence

Common questions

Study Details

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Traditional Chinese medicine integrated with cardiac rehabilitation addresses inflammation, autonomic dysfunction, and psychological disordersTraditional Chinese medicine may help patients recover from heart attacks

How this fits prior evidence

Common questions

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