Congestive Heart Failure in the Light of Ancient Wisdom of Unani Medicine: A Review

Abstract

Congestive heart failure is a complex clinical syndrome that causes functional impairment of ventricular filling and ejection of blood. It can cause dyspnea, fatigue, and fluid retention, affecting exercise tolerance and causing pulmonary and peripheral edema. Moreover, it is a burgeoning and life-threatening syndrome characterized by significant morbidity and mortality, poor functional capacity and quality of life, and high costs. Worldwide congestive heart failure affects more than 64 million people. Nowadays: congestive heart failure is correlated with Suqūṭ-e-Qalb Imtilāʼī, by modern Unani physicians. However, the disease is mentioned in classical Unani literature under the headings of Ikhtilāj-e-qalbi (arrhythmia), Rabw (cardiac asthma), Buhr (cardiac asthma), Khafaqān (palpitation), Istisqā’ Laḥmī (anasarca), Du‘f al-Qalb (weakness of heart), Intiṣāb al-Nafas (orthopnoea), Sudda-e-Urooq-e-Qalb (coronary artery obstruction), Ghashī (syncope), Tasallub-al- Sharāyīn (arteriosclerosis) and Imtilā’ bi Hasbil Aw’iya (congestion of blood vessels). Congestive heart failure and mortality are on the rise despite the significant advancements in contemporary medicine and guidelines directed medical therapy for congestive heart failure. Congestive heart failure hospitalizations make up 1-2% of Western hospital admissions, with the highest 30-day readmission rate (20-25%) in congestive heart failure patients reflecting due to high comorbidity burden. Unani drugs, despite advancements in modern medicine, still significantly impact patient health. They are traditionally used for cardiac ailments like palpitations, coronary artery disease, heart weakness, and cardiotonic. Unani medicine especially Khamīrajat (fermented confections) used in various cardiac diseases is cardio-protective and cardiotonic. According to reports, complementary and alternative medicine is used by up to 61% of cardiac patients with coronary artery disease and those at risk for arteriosclerosis. Therefore, a thorough evaluation of the Unani literature on cardiac illness and its treatment in the Unani system of medicine is needed to decrease congestive heart failure social and economic burdens have become a major global public health priority. This review is an effort to summarize the Unani classical literature on congestive heart failure.