title: [Synthetic evaluation of the clinical effect of the Shengmai capsule for treatment of chronic congestive heart failure using analytic hierarchy process].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the approaches and techniques for synthetic evaluation of the clinical therapeutic effect of new Chinese herbal medicine in clinical trials.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a double-blind, randomized, and placebo-controlled clinical trail, analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was applied to evaluate the clinical therapeutic effect of Shengmai capsule in the treatment of chronic congestive heart failure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Shengmai capsule produced positive therapeutic effect on chronic congestive heart failure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A feasible method is established for evaluating and grading the clinical therapeutic effect of Chinese herbal medicine.
authors.affiliation: Center for Postdoctoral Studies, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. raychen89@163.com
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wei-xiong
authors.initials: WX
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Zhi-ping
authors.initials: ZP
authors.lastname: Lv
mesh_terms: D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D008517:Phytotherapy
chemical_list: D004338:Drug Combinations; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C009252:fructus schizandrae, radix ginseng, radix ophiopogonis drug combination