Effect of Shenfu Decoction on plasma B type natriuretic peptide of patients with chronic heart failure

Objective To observe the effect of Shenfu Decoction on plasma B type natriuretic peptide(BNP)of patients with chronic heart failure.Methods 116patients with chronic heart failure were randomly divided into the treatment group(n=60)and the control group(n =50).Both groups were treated by the best Western medicine treatment program.Based on the treatment the treatment group were added Shenfu Decoction and the control group were added Placebo Decoction.All patients were treated for 2courses with 12weeks in a course.Then,the plasma BNP concentration of patients was tested before treatment,in the first course of treatment and the second course of treatment respectively.Statistical analysis was also carried out.Results Before treatment,the plasma BNP levels of these two groups showed no significant difference(P0.05).After 2courses of treatment,the plasma BNP levels of both groups was significantly different from those before treatment(P 0.01).The BNP levels of both groups decreased gradually with the increase of treatment courses(P 0.01).However,the plasma BNP level of the treatment group decreased more significantly than the control group(P 0.01).TCM dialectical analysis showed that patients with syndrome of yang deficiency of heart kidney and syndrome of qi deficiency of blood stasis in both groups had gradually decreasing BNP levels(P 0.01)with the increase of treatment courses,which showed significant difference from that before treatment(P0.01).But those in the treatment group had more obvious decrease than the control group(P 0.01).No significant difference was found in the comparison of the syndrome of qi deficentcy of heart between the patients in the two groups(P 0.05).And the difference of syndrome of yang deficiency of heart kidney and syndrome of qi deficiency of blood stasis during different periods within groups had statistical significance(P0.01).The comparison of syndrome of yang deficiency of heart kidney in different periods between two groups showed significant difference(P 0.01).Conclusion Shenfu Decoction can significantly reduce the plasma BNP concentration of patients with chronic heart failure and of yang deficiency of heart kidney and syndrome of qi deficiency of blood stasis as well as protect their hearts and improve cardiac function.