Cross-tradition comparison: how 2 medical traditions approach cardiac arrhythmia.
2
Traditions
2
Treatments
0
Plants & Sources
4
Evidence
Treatment Comparison
| Tradition | Treatment | Plant | How It Works | Evidence | Preparation | Dosage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unani Medicine | گل سرخ / ورد (Gul-e-Surkh / Ward) — Rosa damascena | — | — | Moderate | Gulqand (rose petal preserve): petals layered with… | Gulqand: 10g twice daily. Rose water: 50ml twice d… |
| Tibetan Medicine (Sowa Rigpa) | དཛཱ་ཏི (Dza-ti) — Myristica fragrans / Nutmeg compound | — | — | Moderate | Powdered nutmeg in compound formulas (ril-bu — pil… |
By Tradition
Khafaqan refers to palpitations and abnormal cardiac rhythm. Diq-ul-Qalb is tightness or constriction of the heart. Ibn Sina detailed multiple cardiac conditions in the Canon.
Treatments (1)
گل سرخ / ورد (Gul-e-Surkh / Ward) — Rosa damascena
Gul-e-Surkh is classified as Barid Yabis (cold and dry). Premier Mufarrih (exhilarant) in Unani medicine. Muqawwi-e-Qalb (cardiac tonic), Muqawwi-e-Dimagh (brain tonic), and Muskin-e-Safra (yellow bile sedative).
Contraindications
| In formula: per specification. Single use: 0.5-1g … |
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Evidence (2)
Efficacy of Unani cardiotonic formulations containing Gul-e-Surkh in functional cardiac disorders
Rose-containing cardiac tonic preparations improved palpitation frequency, anxiety scores, and subjective cardiac distress measures in patients with functional cardiac complaints. No significant adverse effects.
Rosa damascena flower extract for functional cardiac palpitations: randomized placebo-controlled trial
Rose extract significantly reduced palpitation frequency and improved cardiac anxiety scores at 6 weeks. However, 24-hour Holter monitoring showed no significant difference in arrhythmia episodes, suggesting the benefit is primarily anxiolytic rather than directly cardiac.
sNying-rLung (Heart Wind) is a uniquely Tibetan diagnostic category — rLung (wind) disturbs the heart, causing palpitations, anxiety, and emotional instability. One of the most commonly diagnosed conditions in Tibetan medicine.
Treatments (1)
དཛཱ་ཏི (Dza-ti) — Myristica fragrans / Nutmeg compound
Nutmeg (Dza-ti) is the principal rLung-calming medicine in Tibetan pharmacology. Used in the famous A-gar 35 and other rLung-pacifying formulas. Warm, oily nature directly counteracts rLung's cold, dry, mobile qualities.
Contraindications
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Evidence (2)
Agar-35 (A-gar Nyi-shu-lnga) for sNying-rLung (Heart Wind): randomized controlled trial with standard anxiolytic comparator
Agar-35 (the classic Tibetan Heart Wind formula containing nutmeg, agarwood, and 33 other ingredients) was comparable to low-dose alprazolam for anxiety reduction (HAM-A) at 4 weeks. Palpitation frequency reduced equally in both groups. No rebound anxiety in the Tibetan medicine group at 2-week follow-up.
Treatment of sNying-rLung (Heart Wind) with traditional Tibetan medicine: case series from Tibetan refugee community
Nutmeg-based rLung-pacifying formulas combined with dietary advice and behavioral modification improved palpitations, anxiety, and sleep in 82% of patients over 8 weeks. sNying-rLung increasingly recognized as culturally specific but clinically valid diagnostic entity.