Hypertension, a major risk factor for heart attack, stroke, and renal failure, has become a significant public health challenge that affects 1 billion people worldwide1. Homocysteine (Hcy), a thiol group-containing amino acid, is a vital metabolic intermediary of methionine metabolism. Hypertension with elevated plasma Hcy levels is defined as H-type hypertension, which could be a significant risk factor for the occurrence and recurrence of cardiocerebrovascular diseases such as stroke2,3. Recent studies have reported that the co-residency of H-type hypertension could aggravate the side effects of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases4. Notably, 75% of patients in China with H-type hypertension have primary hypertension, which seriously affects the quality of life5. At present, the treatment of H-type hypertension mainly includes Western medicine. However, it may cause certain adverse effects and poor compliance and can no longer meet the needs for the comprehensive management of H-type hypertension.
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a unique resource with a history of more than 2,000 years in China. Due to the unmet need for hypertension control in Western medicine, clinicians have begun to consider the potential role of TCM in the prevention and treatment of H-type hypertension6. Huotan Jiedu Tongluo Decoction (HTJDTLD) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula formulated by Professor Yue Deng, drawing from his extensive clinical expertise7. Over the course of more than 20 years of clinical application, HTJDTLD has demonstrated remarkable effectiveness in the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases1. However, whether HTJDTLD has therapeutic effects in H-type hypertension has not been reported. Therefore, we aimed to explore the antihypertensive effects and specific mechanisms of HTJDTLD in rats with H-type hypertension and identify potential therapeutic drugs for the treatment of H-type hypertension.