TUESDAY, Jan. 30 (HealthDay News) -- A Chinese herb called danshen could one day be the foundation of a new treatment for high blood pressure, scientists say.

In a new study, researchers report that an active ingredient in the herb reduces hypertension in hamsters and appears to work by widening blood vessels.

"Traditionally, we knew this was working for high blood pressure, but we didn't know what the mechanism was," said study author David D. Kim, an assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

The roots of danshen, a kind of sage, are used as medicine in Chinese culture. The herb is used to treat heart problems and high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, a condition that affects an estimated 50 million Americans, according to background information for the study.

Kim, a licensed acupuncturist, said he prescribes the herb to his own patients with high blood pressure. "It works very well, especially with a person who has hypertension with atherosclerosis and angina."

In the study, Kim and his colleagues gave the active ingredient of danshen -- tanshinone IIA -- to hamsters with high blood pressure. The researchers found that the ingredient significantly reduced blood pressure in the hamsters and also widened blood vessels. The ingredient appears to work by boosting the body's production of nitric oxide.

The research could lay the groundwork for future investigations of danshen's potential as a hypertension drug. There are plenty of drugs on the market currently, Kim said, but each has significant side effects.

The researchers reported their findings in an upcoming issue of the American Journal of Physiology -- Heart and Circulatory Physiology.

Much work into danshen's therapeutic role remains to be done, however, said Lixing Lao, an associate professor of family and community medicine at the University of Maryland and co-president of the Society for Acupuncture Research.

"More research on drug toxicity and adverse effects will be needed to evaluate the safety of this remedy," said Lao, who suggested it should be used with caution by people who are on blood thinners.

As for the next step, Kim said he's interested in understanding how long the effects of danshen last after people stop taking it.

"People ask about the difference between Oriental and Western medicine: In Western medicine, [a treatment] works fast but doesn't last long. In Oriental medicine, it works slowly, but it lasts," he said.

More information

Learn more about danshen from drugdigest.org.