How to continue lipid-lowering therapy in patients with coronary heart disease and severe liver dysfunction?: A case report of plaque regression by a combination of Chinese and Western Medicine

RATIONALE: Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), including coronary heart disease (CHD), atherosclerotic stroke and peripheral vascular disease, has become the most deadly chronic noncommunicable disease throughout the world in recent decades, while plaque regression could reduce the occurrence of ASCVD. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been widely used for prevention and treatment of these diseases. In the perspective of TCM, phlegm and blood stasis are considered to be leading pathogenesis for CHD. Hence, activating blood circulation and dissipating phlegm, which is of great benefit to regress plaque, have been regarded as general principles in treatment. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 36-year-old man presented with a 3-month history of intermittent exertional chest pain. Coronary angiography revealed 60% stenosis of the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery. Liver function showed: alanine transaminase (ALT):627U/L, aspartate transaminase (AST):243U/L. DIAGNOSES: CHD and hepatitis B with severe liver dysfunction. INTERVENTIONS: The patient should have been treated with high-intensity statin therapy. Actually, due to severe liver dysfunction, Huazhirougan granule instead of statins was administered. In addition, he was treated with TCM according to syndrome differentiation for two and a half years. OUTCOMES: The chest pain disappeared and other symptoms alleviated as well after treatment. Coronary computed tomographic angiography revealed no stenosis in the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery. ALT and AST level returned to normal (ALT:45U/L,AST:24U/L). LESSONS: For patients with CHD and severe hepatic dysfunction, antilipidemic drugs such as statins are not recommended. This case suggested that TCM might fill a gap in lipid-lowering therapy. Thus, we could see that statins were not the only drug for plaque regression and the effect of TCM in treating coronary artery disease cannot be ignored.