TITLE:
Use of Panax Notoginseng on Ischemic Stroke in a Cardiology Setting in Senegal: A Randomized Controlled Trial
AUTHORS:
Serigne Mor Beye, Fatou Aw, Aliou Alassane Ngaide, Ousmane Cissé, Khadimu Rassoul Diop, Aynina Gueye, Issa Ka, Maboury Diao, Adama Kane
KEYWORDS:
Ischemic Stroke, Panax Notoginseng, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Senegal, Randomized Controlled Trial
JOURNAL NAME:
World Journal of Cardiovascular Diseases,
Vol.15 No.10,
October
22,
2025
ABSTRACT: Background: Stroke is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Panax Notoginseng, used in Chinese medicine, has potential antiplatelet and neuroprotective properties. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of Panax Notoginseng in reducing motor sequelae of ischemic stroke in a Senegalese population. Methods: An open-label randomized controlled clinical trial conducted over 6 months in 4 Senegalese hospitals. 152 patients with confirmed ischemic stroke (Results: 152 patients were included (78 in the control group, 74 in the intervention group), with a mean age of 60.2 years. Significant improvement in neurological scores was observed in both groups without a statistically significant difference between groups. Mean NIHSS score: 12.9 vs 12.1 at inclusion, 6.9 vs 6.4 at 3 months (p = 0.844). Barthel Index: improvement of 16% (control group) vs 18% (intervention group). No adverse effects reported. Conclusion: Panax Notoginseng shows a favorable but non-significant trend in post-stroke motor recovery. Its good tolerability in African subjects warrants further studies with larger sample sizes.