Shensong yangxin, a multi-functional traditional Chinese medicine for arrhythmia: A review of components, pharmacological mechanisms, and clinical applications

As a common cardiovascular disease (CVD), Arrhythmia refers to any abnormality in the origin, frequency, rhythm, conduction velocity, timing, pathway, sequence, or other aspect of cardiac impulses, and it is one of the common cardiovascular diseases in clinical practice. At present, various ion channel blockers are used for treatment of arrhythmia that include Na+ ion channel blockers, K+ ion channel blockers and Ca2+ ion channel blockers. While these drugs offer benefits, they have led to a gradual increase in drug-related adverse reactions across various systems. As a result, the quest for safe and effective antiarrhythmic drugs is pressing. Recent years have seen some advancements in the treatment of ventricular arrhythmias using traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). The theory of Luobing in TCM has proposed a new drug intervention strategy of "fast and slow treatment, integrated regulation" leading to a shift in mindset from "antiarrhythmic" to "rhythm-regulating". Guided by this theory, the development of Shen Song Yang Xin Capsules (SSYX) has involved various Chinese medicinal ingredients that comprehensively regulate the myocardial electrophysiological mechanism, exerting antiarrhythmic effects on multiple ion channels and non-ion channels. Similarly, in clinical studies, evidence-based research has confirmed that SSYX combined with conventional antiarrhythmic drugs can more effectively reduce the occurrence of arrhythmias. Therefore, this article provides a comprehensive review of the composition and mechanisms of action, pharmacological components, network pharmacology analysis, and clinical applications of SSYX guided by the theory of Luobing, aiming to offer valuable insights for improved clinical management of arrhythmias and related research.