Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Qishen Taohong Granule (芪参桃红颗粒) as Adjuvant Therapy for Improving Cardiac Function and Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure: A Randomized Controlled Trial

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

To confirm the improvement of cardiac function and quality of life (QOL) in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) via Chinese medicine (CM) Qishen Taohong Granule (芪参桃红颗粒, QTG).

Methods

This study was a single-center, prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial. Seventy-six patients from 27 to 84 years old diagnosed with CHF New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II or III in stage C were enrolled and randomly assigned at a 1:1 ratio to receive QTG or trimetazidine (TMZ), in addition to their standard medications for the treatment of CHF. The study period was 4 weeks. The primary outcomes included cardiac function evaluated by NYHA classification and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), as well as QOL evaluated by CHF Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Survival Scale (CHFQLS). The secondary outcomes included 6-min walking test (6MWT), CM syndrome score, symptom and sign scores and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). All indices were measured at baseline and the end of the trial.

Results

At the 4-week follow-up period, the effective rate according to NYHA classification in the QTG group was better than that in the TMZ group (74.29% vs. 54.29%, P<0.05). But there was no significant difference in post-treatment level of LVEF between the two groups (P>0.05). The CHFQLS scores improved by 13.82±6.04 vs. 7.49±2.28 in the QTG and TMZ groups, respectively (P<0.05). Subgroup analysis of the CHFQLS results showed that physiological function, role limitation and vitality were significantly higher in the QTG group than in the TMZ group (15.76±7.85 vs. 7.40±3.36, P<0.05; 16.00±8.35 vs. 10.53±4.64, P<0.05; 15.31±8.09 vs. 7.89±4.60, P<0.05). Compared with TMZ group, treatment with QTG also demonstrated superior performance with respect to 6MWT, CM syndrome, shortness of breath, fatigue, gasping, general edema and NT-proBNP level. No significant adverse reactions or adverse cardiac events occurred during treatment in either group.

Conclusion

In addition to conventional treatments, the use of QTG as an adjuvant therapy significantly improved cardiac function and QOL in patients with CHF class II or III in stage C. [Registration No. ChiCTR1900022036 (retrospectively registered)]

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Benjamin EJ, Muntner P, Alonso A, Bittencourt MS, Callaway CW, Carson AP, et al. Heart disease and stroke statistics-2019 update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation 2019;139:e56–e528.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Armstrong PW, Lam CSP, Anstrom KJ, Ezekowitz J, Hernandez AF, O'Connor CM, et al. Effect of vericiguat vs placebo on quality of life in patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction: the VITALITY-HFpEF randomized clinical trial. JAMA 2020;324:1512–1521.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Huang Y, Kwan KKL, Leung KW, Yao P, Wang H, Dong TT, et al. Ginseng extracts modulate mitochondrial bioenergetics of live cardiomyoblasts: a functional comparison of different extraction solvents. J Ginseng Res 2019;43:517–526.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Li Y, Nong YB, Lin Q. Correlation between heart-qi deficiency syndrome of chronic heart failure and level of myocardial creatine. J Beijing Univ Tradit Chin Med (Chin) 2010;33:825–828+833.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Wu S, Chang G, Gao L, Jiang D, Wang L, Li G, et al. Trimetazidine protects against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury by inhibiting excessive autophagy. J Mol Med (Berl) 2018;96:791–806.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Su JZ, Li LW, Lin Q. Lin Qian's experience in treating chronic heart failure with integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine. Chin J Basic Med Tradit Chin Med (Chin) 2016;22:128–130.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Sui YB, Wang Y, Liu L, Liu F, Zhang YQ. Astragaloside IV alleviates heart failure by promoting angiogenesis through the JAK-STAT3 pathway. Pharm Biol 2019;57:48–54.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Wang L, Yu J, Fordjour PA, Xing X, Gao H, Li Y, et al. Danshen Injection prevents heart failure by attenuating post-infarct remodeling. J Ethnopharmacol 2017;205:22–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Liu Y, Xu W, Xiong Y, Du G, Qin X. Evaluations of the effect of Huangqi against heart failure based on comprehensive echocardiography index and metabonomics. Phytomedicine 2018;50:205–212.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Wu HJ, Yuan GG, eds. Treatment of heart failure with integrated Chinese and Western medicine. Beijing: Tsinghua University Press; 2008:76–77.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Hunt SA, Abraham WT, Chin MH, Feldman AM, Francis GS, Ganiats TG, et al. 2009 focused update incorporated into the ACC/AHA 2005 guidelines for the diagnosis and management of heart failure in adults: a report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association task force on practice guidelines: developed in collaboration with the International society for heart and lung transplantation. Circulation 2009;119:e391–479.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Qi P, Zhang CX. The latest guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of adult heart failure in ACC/AHA2009 (1). Chin J Health Care Med (Chin) 2010;12:323–325.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Zheng XY, eds. Guiding principle of clinical research on new drugs of traditional Chinese medicine. Beijing: China Medical Science Press; 2002:77–85.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Wan J, Lin Q, Su JZ, Tan H, Li PH. Evaluation of standard validity of quality of life scale for chronic heart failure with integrated Chinese and Western medicine. Chin J Integr Tradit West Med (Chin) 2016;36:1300–1303.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Xiang N. Clinical observation of Wenyang Yiqi Fang in treating chronic cardiac failure with deficiency of yang qi and blood stasis [dissertation]. Wuhan: Hubei University of Chinese Medicine; 2019.

    Google Scholar 

  16. He SL, Li YJ, eds. Methodology of medical research. Beijing: People's Military Medicine Press; 2004:601.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Chinese Society of Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Journal of Cardiovascular Diseases Editorial Committee. Chinese heart failure diagnosis and treatment guidelines 2014. Chin J Cardio Dis (Chin) 2014;42:98–122.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Pellicori P, Khan MJI, Graham FJ, Cleland JGF. New perspectives and future directions in the treatment of heart failure. Heart Fail Rev 2020;25:147–159.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Zhao K, Tian JF, Zhao C, Yuan F, Gao ZY, Li LZ, et al. Effectiveness of integrative medicine therapy on coronary artery disease prognosis: a real-world study. Chin J Integr Med 2019;25:9–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Li J, Guan XK, Liu RX. Role of Chinese herbal medicines in regulation of energy metabolism in treating cardiovascular diseases. Chin J Integr Med 2019;25:307–315.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Wei Y, Wu Y, Feng K, Zhao Y, Tao R, Xu H, et al. Astragaloside IV inhibits cardiac fibrosis via miR-135a-TRPM7-TGF-β/Smads pathway. J Ethnopharmacol 2020;249:112404.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Wang X, Guo D, Li W, Zhang Q, Jiang Y, Wang Q, et al. Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) restricts MD2/TLR4-MyD88 complex formation and signalling in acute myocardial infarction-induced heart failure. J Cell Mol Med 2020;24:10677–10692.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Han CK, Tien YC, Jine-Yuan Hsieh D, Ho TJ, Lai CH, Yeh YL, et al. Attenuation of the LPS-induced, ERK-mediated upregulation of fibrosis-related factors FGF-2, uPA, MMP-2, and MMP-9 by Carthamus tinctorius L in cardiomyoblasts. Environ Toxicol 2017;32:754–763.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Psotka MA, Teerlink JR. Assessing the lifetime benefit of heart failure therapies. Lancet 2020;396:75–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Bredy C, Ministeri M, Kempny A, Alonso-Gonzalez R, Swan L, Uebing A, et al. New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification in adults with congenital heart disease: relation to objective measures of exercise and outcome. Eur Heart J Qual Care Clin Outcomes 2018;4:51–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Kosiborod MN, Jhund PS, Docherty KF, Diez M, Petrie MC, Verma S, et al. Effects of dapagliflozin on symptoms, function, and quality of life in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction: results from the DAPA-HF trial. Circulation 2020;141:90–99.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Lin Q, Nong YB, Wan J, Lu JJ, Wen ZH, An C. A clinical study of scale for evaluating the quality of life in patients with chronic heart failure treated with traditional Chinese and western medicine. Chin J Integr Tradit West Med Intens Crit Care (Chin) 2008;3:131–134.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Peng P, Yuan WA, Hu YH, Tang J, Jiang J, Hu YY. Quality control about syndrome of traditional Chinese medicine in clinical research of Chinese materia medica as a new drug. Chin J Tradit Chin Med Phar (Chin) 2020;35:2722–2724.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the patients for participating in the study and to our colleagues from the Department of Cardiology, Dongfang Hospital Affiliated to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, for their dedication, support, and hard work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Graduate School, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China

    Xing-xing Li, Rui Zhuang & Rong-kun Yan

  2. Department of Cardiology, Dongfang Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100078, China

    Yang Wu, Zong-jing Fan, Jie Cui, Dong Li & Yan Li

  3. Department of Cardiology, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100091, China

    Quan Lin

  4. Department of Cardiology, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100700, China

    Qian Lin

Authors
  1. Xing-xing Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yang Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Zong-jing Fan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jie Cui
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Dong Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Quan Lin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Rui Zhuang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Rong-kun Yan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Qian Lin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Yan Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Li Y and Lin Qian designed the randomized controlled trial. Li XX drafted the manuscript. Fan ZJ, Cui J, Li D, Lin Quan, Zhuang R and Yan RK performed this trial, and Li XX collected and analyzed the data. Li Y and Wu Y revised the manuscript. All authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yan Li.

Additional information

Conflicts of Interest

All authors declared that they had no conflicts of interest.

Supported by Beijing Science and Technology Planning Project (No. Z171100001017225), National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81703902) and Beijing University of Chinese Medicine 1166 Development Program for Junior Scientists (No. 030903010331)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Li, Xx., Wu, Y., Fan, Zj. et al. Qishen Taohong Granule (芪参桃红颗粒) as Adjuvant Therapy for Improving Cardiac Function and Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 28, 12–19 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-021-2866-z

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-021-2866-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation