title: [Clinical study on qiangxinling liquid extract in treating congestive heart failure].
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of TCM, Jinan 250011.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002302:Cardiac Output / Q000187:drug effects; D004077:Digoxin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D004077:Digoxin