Pathogenesis and treatment strategies of sepsis-induced myocardial injury: modern and traditional medical perspectives

Abstract

Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. Myocardial injury is a common complication in sepsis patients, which accelerates the progression of sepsis, leading to multiple organ dysfunction and poor prognosis. However, there are still many uncertainties about the characteristics, pathogenesis, treatment, and prognosis of sepsis-induced myocardial injury. While modern medical approaches dominate current clinical management of sepsis-induced myocardial injury, emerging evidence highlights the growing therapeutic potential of traditional Chinese medicine in this field, driven by advances in biomedical research. The integration of these two paradigms holds promise for elucidating the pathophysiological mechanisms and identifying novel therapeutic targets for sepsis-induced myocardial injury, which may accelerate the development of innovative treatment strategies. Therefore, this review comprehensively summarizes the pathogenesis and therapeutic interventions of sepsis-induced myocardial injury from both modern medicine and traditional Chinese medicine perspectives, and critically analyzes the two aiming to provide a valuable reference for researchers' understanding of sepsis-induced myocardial injury.