[Clinical study on qiangxinling liquid extract in treating congestive heart failure].

OBJECTIVE: To find the safe and effective treatment and drugs for congestive heart failure (CHF). METHODS: Ninety CHF patients whose heart function belong to III-IV grade were randomly divided into 3 groups: Group A was treated with Qiangxinling liquid extract (QXLLE); Group B with QXLLE plus small dose of digoxin and Group C with digoxin alone. RESULTS: The total effective rate on heart function of Group A was 86.7%, Group B 93.3% and Group C 83.3%, the effect of Group B was better than that of the other two groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The digoxin withdrawing and reducing rate in Group B was higher than that in Group C (86.7% vs 50.0%, P < 0.05). The left ventricular systolic function, including stroke volume, cardiac output, ejection fraction of the 3 groups were improved after treatment, among them the effect of Group B was the best (P < 0.01). Moreover, improvement in ventricular diastolic function was shown in Group A and B, including the maximum blood flow of the late and the early diastolic stage as well as the ratio of them (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The plasma renin activity, angiotensin II and atrial natriuretic peptide of Group A and B were also lowered after treatment and were significantly different to those of the Group C (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: QXLLE could improve the heart function, clinical symptoms and neuro-endocrinal indexes of CHF patients and reduce the side effects of digoxin.