Development of TCM herb and anti-hypertensive drug interaction database

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a very popular used form of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in Singapore. Given the high rate of hypertension in Singapore, it is not surprising that TCM and anti-hypertensive drugs are used concomitantly by the general public. However, both the general public and healthcare professionals (HCPs) are poorly informed about TCM herb-drug interactions, and lack access to information about them. Thus, the aim of this project is to investigate possible TCM herb-drug interactions with respect to hypertension and present currently available research in a suitable format for HCPs to consult in order to aid safe management of their patients. This project reviewed currently available research on 19 commonly used anti-hypertensive drugs and their possible interactions with 12 commonly used TCM herbs. The results were evaluated and graded according to modified Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (CEBM) 2011 levels of evidence, and organised into individual monographs of each herb and its potential interactions with the anti-hypertensive drugs reviewed. The compiled monographs comprise a database which is intended for future reference by HCPs. A limitation of this project is that most of the results found were CEBM Level 5, being in vitro or animal studies (82.2%) and clinical evidence was scarce, which increases the difficulty in applying the findings in a clinical context.Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science