RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To observe the therapeutic and prognostic effects and to evaluate the safety of Zhi-Xin-Fang on heart failure resulting from cardiomyopathy. METHODS: 62 patients with cardiomyopathy combined with heart failure were treated with standard western medical therapy as treatment group. The other 60 patients with the same diseases were administered with both Zhi-Xin-Fang and standard western medicines as control. Several parameters were observed to evaluate the effect of Zhi-Xin-Fang on the heart failure, containing the therapeutic effect of clinical symptom and physical signs, the improvement of heart function and the ultrasonic caridogram. We also observed the effect of Zhi-Xin-Fang to relieve the clinical symptom and improve the heart function and quality of life and prognosis. RESULTS: As the NYHA classify for heart failure, the effective rate for the treatment group was 95% , more effective than the control group (effective rate: 80.65%) (P<0.05). There was significant improvement for LVEF and LVDS for both groups. However, the treatment group was better than the control group (P<0.05). The clinical symptom was significantly improved compared to the untreatment in both groups. The treatment group was better than the control group for effective rate (P<0.05) but not for the total effective rate. There was no significant difference for the function of liver and kidney, blood routine method, electrolyte compared to before for the two groups. CONCLUSION: The standard western medicines combined with Zhi-Xin-Fang is a good therapy for treating heart failure resulting from cardiomyopathy. The combined therapy can relieve the cinical symptom of heart failure, improve the heart function and quality of life. It is also safer for the patients. However, its long-term prognosis should be further studied in the future.