Promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis

"Promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis" (Huoxue Huayu) is a fundamental therapeutic principle in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) rather than a single molecular target. It describes a pharmacological strategy aimed at treating "Blood Stasis Syndrome," a pathological state characterized by impaired blood flow, vascular obstruction, and microcirculatory disturbances. This approach encompasses a broad range of biological activities, including the inhibition of platelet activation, modulation of the coagulation cascade, and enhancement of fibrinolytic activity. Modern research has identified that medicinal herbs and compounds associated with this principle act on multiple targets such as thrombin, cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Clinically, this strategy is widely applied in the management of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, chronic inflammatory conditions, and certain types of pain and fibrosis.

Other names

Huoxue HuayuActivating blood and resolving stasisInvigorating blood and removing blood stasisBlood-activating and stasis-resolvingPromoting blood flow and eliminating blood stasis

Multi-target regulation of hemodynamics, including inhibition of platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptors, reduction of plasma viscosity, promotion of nitric oxide release for vasodilation, and inhibition of inflammatory cytokine expression.