Diagnosis and Treatment > Medication > Astragalus membranaceus

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Jiman Kim
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Eulsun Moon Seoul 365 Medical Clinic, Seoul, Korea

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Seungwon Kwon Department of Cardiovascular and Neurologic Diseases, College of Korean Medicine, KyungHee University, 1 Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 130-702, Korea

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Summary

Diabetic nephropathy, a microvascular complication of diabetes, is a progressive kidney disease caused by angiopathy of the capillaries in the kidney glomeruli. Herein, we report a case of a 62-year-old patient with a 30 year history of diabetes, who showed a substantial improvement in diabetic nephropathy on administration of 30 g of Astragalus membranaceus extract per day. After 1 month, estimated glomerular filtration rate increased from 47 to 72 ml/min per 1.73 m2 and was subsequently maintained at the 1-month follow-up. Urinary protein levels also decreased following treatment. Herein, we present and discuss the evidence and mechanism of A. membranaceus on diabetic nephropathy in this patient.

Learning points

  • Diabetic nephropathy is a progressive kidney disease.

  • Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) are currently used to prevent and delay the progression of diabetic nephropathy. However, their effects are not sufficient to prevent a decline in kidney function.

  • Furthermore, combination therapy with an ACE inhibitor and an ARB can produce adverse effects without additional benefits.

  • In the early phase of diabetic nephropathy, administration of Astragalus membranaceus can be a therapeutic option.

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