[Study on effect of Astragalus injection in treating congestive heart failure]

Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2001 Oct;21(10):747-9.
[Article in Chinese]

Abstract

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy and side-effects of Astragalus Injection (AI) in treating congestive heart failure (CHF).

Methods: Eighty-three patients of CHF with heart function of II-IV grade assessed by NYHA (New York Heart Association) classification were randomly divided into 2 groups. The 42 patients in the treated group were treated with AI 40 ml (equivalent to 80 g crude drug) by adding in 5% glucose solution 500 ml for intravenous dripping, once a day and the 41 patients in the control group were treated by nitrolingual injection 15 mg by adding in 5% glucose solution 500 ml for intravenous dripping once a day. The therapeutic course in both groups was 2 weeks and the patients were followed-up for 1-6 months.

Results: The clinical heart function improvement rate and the total effective rate in the treated group after 1 month treatment were 26.2% and 78.6%, and after 6 months were 34.2% and 81.6% respectively, which were superior to those in the control group significantly (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The levels of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), fractional shortening of left ventricular short axis (FS), the ratio of maximum blood flow between the advanced and early atrial systole (E/A), stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO) and the cardiac index (CI) were all improved in both groups (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05), but better improvement was shown in the treated group. Follow-up study showed that the incidence of cardiac event was lower in the treated group than that in the control group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: AI can be took as one of the important auxiliary drugs for treatment of CHF especially in severe cases.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Astragalus Plant / adverse effects
  • Astragalus propinquus
  • Cardiac Output / drug effects
  • Digitalis Glycosides / therapeutic use*
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal / adverse effects
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal / therapeutic use*
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Heart Failure / drug therapy*
  • Humans
  • Injections, Intravenous
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Phytotherapy*
  • Stroke Volume / drug effects

Substances

  • Digitalis Glycosides
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal
  • Huang Qi