Phytotherapy for the Prevention of Atherosclerosis-Associated Early Cerebral Ischemia

Background: Cerebrovascular disease caused by atherosclerosis affecting cerebral and pre-cerebral arteries is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in high-income countries. Medications of botanical origin are often characterized by good tolerability and are suitable for long-term treatment. Therefore, phytotherapy provides an interesting possibility for developing new therapies for the prevention of atherosclerosis and its complications that could be used at preclinical stages of the disease. Objective: We reviewed the current literature studying the potential of various plant-based medications for prevention and treatment of early cerebral ischemia induced by atherosclerosis. Methods: Literature search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane library to find trials on phytotherapy in cerebrovascular prevention and treatment. Results: The present review covers the recent data on the prevention of cerebral ischemia with natural preparations and demonstrates the effect of anti-atherosclerotic therapy on the dynamics of minor neurological changes. Conclusion: Phytotherapy appears to have a great potential for cerebrovascular disease prevention, combining good safety profiles with pleiotropic effects on different mechanisms atherosclerosis-related cerebral ischemia development.