Herb Profile

Danshen

Salvia miltiorrhiza

Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) carries a Grade C rating — limited evidence.

Last reviewed: •3 sources citedReport a correctionProfile-wide ·C Limited

Use extra caution — May increase bleeding risk and alter blood pressure; use caution with anticoagulants/antiplatelets, antihypertensives, digoxin/heart medicines, and before surgery. Details

Evidence
Limited Evidence
Typical onset
Varies by prep
Safety rating
Moderate caution
Best for
Cardiovascular
Avoid / review if
Pregnancy, Anticoagulant/Antiplatelet Therapy Without Clinician Review, Upcoming Surgery
Danshen monograph visual
Generated profile category visual

At a glance

From this profile's structured data
Evidence
Grade C
Safety
May increase bleeding risk and alter blood pressure; use caution with anticoagulants/antiplatelets, antihypertensives, digoxin/heart medicines, and before surgery.
Profile context
cardiovascular
Next steps

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Safety

Safety & Cautions

May increase bleeding risk and alter blood pressure; use caution with anticoagulants/antiplatelets, antihypertensives, digoxin/heart medicines, and before surgery.

Elevated caution

Caution level: Elevated. One caution category applies — read it before use.

  • Anticoagulant CautionBleeding or anticoagulant-adjacent caution language is present.
Detailed safety fields

Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and contraindications

  • Pregnancy
  • Anticoagulant/Antiplatelet Therapy Without Clinician Review
  • Upcoming Surgery
  • May Interact With Warfarin
  • Aspirin
  • Antiplatelets
  • Antihypertensives
  • And Cardiovascular Drugs.

Safety classifications

  • Anticoagulant Caution: Bleeding or anticoagulant-adjacent caution language is present.

Full safety note

  • May increase bleeding risk and alter blood pressure; use caution with anticoagulants/antiplatelets, antihypertensives, digoxin/heart medicines, and before surgery.

Safety labels

  • Anticoagulant Caution

Evidence-based safety

Caution when combined

Severity and certainty are shown separately. A high-priority caution can still be theoretical: these pairings are screened from shared contraindication mechanisms and are not automatically documented clinical interactions. Provenance identifies the source fields that produced each flag; it does not upgrade the certainty of the pairwise claim.

High-Priority Caution

147 flagged pairings

Bleeding / anticoagulant risk

Representative pairings are shown below. Large mechanism groups are intentionally summarized to keep profiles focused and crawl-efficient.

Bleeding / anticoagulant riskCertainty: Theoretical

Data provenance recorded for 147 of 147 pairings in this mechanism group.

+135 more pairings share this mechanism. Use the Safety Checker to review a specific combination.

Moderate Caution

81 flagged pairings

Blood-pressure effects

Representative pairings are shown below. Large mechanism groups are intentionally summarized to keep profiles focused and crawl-efficient.

Blood-pressure effectsCertainty: Theoretical

Data provenance recorded for 81 of 81 pairings in this mechanism group.

+69 more pairings share this mechanism. Use the Safety Checker to review a specific combination.

Evidence

Evidence Summary

Evidence lens

Read as directional context, not settled clinical proof.

LimitedLimited Evidence

Human clinical evidence: Not the primary signal

Mechanistic / preclinical: Mechanism mapped — Vascular Function Support

Research maturity: Theoretical / mechanistic research — Mechanistic or unresolved evidence is kept separate from established human outcomes.

Safety boundary: Safety note available — May increase bleeding risk and alter blood pressure; use caution with anticoagulants/antiplatelets, antihypertensives, digoxin/heart medicines, and before surgery.

This profile cites 3 human studies.

Study design details
Evidence Grade

Grade C: Limited Evidence

Evaluation of methodological rigor, population reach, and evidence alignment.

Design Match
Narrative review
Risk of Bias
High
Consistency
Not assessed
Strongest recorded design is a narrative review, drawn from 2 recorded studies, none of which measured an outcome in people.
How evidence grades work

Each grade reflects the strength and consistency of published human evidence — not marketing claims. Grades are based on study count, design quality, effect size, consistency, and recency.

Strong
Multiple RCTs, consistent direction, adequate effect size
Moderate
Some RCTs or consistent observational data in humans
Preliminary / Mixed
Animal or in-vitro only, or conflicting human data
Traditional / Theoretical
Traditional use only; no controlled human trials
Clinical Study Summaries (3)0 human evidence sources · 0 human trials · Participant totals not consistently reported · Consistency not yet classifiable

Filter by study class

Showing 3 of 3 studies.

What the evidence actually shows

This table contains 3 structured sources, including 0 human evidence sources; 0 are human trials.

StudyDesignNDoseDurationPopulationOutcomeResult & magnitudeSource

Herb-drug interactions

Fugh-Berman A et al. · Lancet · 2000

Background
Narrative review

Summarizes selected literature without the full prespecified search and selection methods of a systematic review.

——————PubMed →

Salvia miltiorrhizaBurge (Danshen): a golden herbal medicine in cardiovascular therapeutics

Li ZM et al. · Acta Pharmacol Sin · 2018

Background
Narrative review

Summarizes selected literature without the full prespecified search and selection methods of a systematic review.

——————PubMed →

Huangqi-Danshen Decoction Against Renal Fibrosis in UUO Mice via TGF-β1 Induced Downstream Signaling Pathway

Huang X et al. · Drug Des Devel Ther · 2024

Background
Other / unclear

The study design is not yet classified clearly enough to infer its place in the evidence hierarchy.

——————PubMed →

Dosing & Timing

No standardized dose
Preparation specific; use standardized product label for Root decoction and require source backed dosage review before therapeutic claims.
How Danshen works

Simplified mechanism pathway based on preclinical and pharmacological evidence. Does not confirm clinical efficacy.

Mechanism Pathway — How Danshen Works

How Danshen WorksDanshen acts on biological target pathways via vascular function (support), leading to cardiovascular.DanshenBiological TargetBiological pathwayVascular FunctionSupportCardiovascularObservable outcome
CompoundTarget / ReceptorMechanismEffect / Outcome
Mechanisms & biological pathways (preclinical)
  • Vascular Function Support

Active Compounds

Key constituents studied in Danshen, with full pharmacology and safety profiles.

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Explore botanicals with similar chemistry, effects, or safety considerations in the Botanical Activity Atlas.

Guides that use Danshen

Condition guides

Compare & Sourcing

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Safety first · Harm reduction

This information is educational and not medical advice. Start low, avoid risky combinations, and consult a licensed clinician before making health decisions—especially if you use medications, have diagnosed conditions, or are pregnant/breastfeeding.

Learn how we evaluate confidence, safety, and intensity on the methodology page.

Editorial Review

Checked against primary sources, cited evidence, and contraindication language before publication. Evidence claims, safety language, and affiliate modules are reviewed independently. Not personal medical advice.

Editorial Standards →

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