Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), including coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and heart failure, are the leading causes of death worldwide. In 2016, an estimated 17.9 million people died from CVDs, accounting for 31% of all global deaths. Recent reports on CVDs in China indicate that the prevalence and mortality of CVDs are still on the rise. The estimated number of people suffering from CVDs in China alone is 290 million, and the death rate of CVDs still ranks as first, accounting for more than 40% of deaths across the population. In recent years, the death rate of CVDs in rural areas has been shown to be higher than that in urban areas. The total cost of hospitalization for CVDs is also increasing rapidly, with the annual growth rate much higher than the GDP growth rate. The increasing burden of CVDs has become a major public health problem, and as such there is an urgent need to prevent and treat CVDs.

Although some recent reviews have suggested that Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) may benefit some heart disease patients and TCM treatment of diseases has indeed been recognized by patients, there is a lack of evidence-based research in line with the requirements of modern medical science. The exact mechanisms of the actions of TCM also need to be explained by scientific data, and so expert attention is needed to support the clinical value and effectiveness of TCM in treating CVDs.

The aim of this Special Issue is to collate results from the following aspects including safety of TCM therapies, side effects, clinical trials, and practice, to enrich the current knowledge of the efficacy of TCM therapies in treating CVDs. We invite researchers to contribute original research articles as well as review articles that will assess the roles of TCM therapies for CVDs.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• In vivo or in vitro study to explore the exact mechanism of TCM therapies for CVDs
• Recent development in TCM therapies for CVDs
• Randomized clinical trials of TCM therapies for CVDs
• Systematic review and/or meta-analysis of TCM therapies for CVDs
• Toxicological effects associated with the use of TCM therapies for CVDs
• Clinical practice of TCM therapies with conventional medicines and western medicine for CVDs
• Perspective or commentary articles on TCM therapies for CVDs
• Perspective or commentary articles on TCM therapies for CVDs and its complications