AIM To investigate the therapeutic effect of Shenfu Yixin Granule combined with Nuoxintuo in the treatment of chronic heart failure and its impacts on serum soluble growth stimulating gene 2 protein (sST2) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) levels.

METHODS From February 2021 to February 2023, 200 patients with chronic heart failure admitted to our hospital were randomly divided into a reference group and a research group, with 100 patients in each group. Both groups received some basic treatment in the early stage. Then, the reference group received treatment with Nuoxintuo, while the research group received treatment with Shenfu Yixin Granules on the basis of the treatment in the reference group. The treatment course were six months for both groups. After treatment, the clinical efficacy was compared between the two groups and the myocardial function indicators including left ventricular end systolic volume (LVESV), left ventricular end diastolic volume (LVEDV) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) levels, and heart fatty acid binding protein (h-FABP), lipoprotein related phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) levels, serum soluble growth stimulating gene 2 protein (sST2), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) levels, serum vascular endothelial function indicators including endothelin (ET), calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) and nitric oxide (NO) levels, as well as the post-treatment incidence of adverse reactions were measured and compared between the two groups.

RESULTS The therapeutic effect in the research group was much better than that in the reference group (P<0.01). Before treatment, LVEDV, LVESV, h-FABP, Lp-PLA2, serum sST2, MMP-9 and endothelial function indicator ET were all maintained at a high level in both groups and there was no great difference between the two groups. After treatment, these indicators decreased in both groups, but the research group showed a greater decrease than the reference group (P<0.01). There was no great difference in LVEF, CGRP and NO levels between the two groups before treatment, but after treatment, the levels of LVEF, CGRP and NO increased in both groups and the research group showed a greater increase (P<0.01). Moreover, the adverse reaction rate in the reference group was much higher than that in the research group (P<0.01).

CONCLUSION The combination of Shenfu Yixin Granule and Nuoxintuo achieves a good therapeutic effect in patients with chronic heart failure, which effectively enhances the myocardial function and vascular endothelial function and reduce the heart burden in these patients.