AIM  To investigate the clinical efficacy of Shenfu Injection combined with sacubitril and valsartan in the treatment of heart-qi (yang deficiency) heart failure patients and to provide more practical evidence for the drug treatment of chronic heart failure.

  METHODS  By the convenient sampling method, 150 patients with heart-qi (yang deficiency) type heart failure admitted to our hospital from January 2018 to December 2019 were selected as the subjects of this study. According to the random number table method, the patients were divided into two groups (75 cases, each): control group (conventional symptomatic treatment + sacubitril and valsartan) and experimental group (Shenfu injection based on control group treatment). Comparison was made between the two groups in treatment effect, TCM syndrome scores before and after treatment, changes in plasma brain natriuretic titanium precursor (NT-proBNP), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular end diastolic inner diameter (LVDd), 6-min walking distance before and after treatment, and Minnesota quality of life scores.

  RESULTS  After treatment, the total effective rate of TCM symptoms and NYHA heart function in experimental group was significantly higher than that in control group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between all the data before treatment (P>0.05) but after treatment, the two groups of patients had different degrees of improvement. In experimental group, TCM syndrome scores were lower, NT-proBNP was lower, LVEF was higher, 6min walking distance was longer and quality of life score was better. All indicators were close to normal and better than those in control group and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). But, after treatment no significant difference was found in LVDd between the two groups (P>0.05).

  CONCLUSION  Shenfu Injection combined with sacubatril and valsartan has a significant clinical effect in the treatment of heart-qi (yang-deficiency) type heart failure, which is helpful to improve the patients’ heart functions and reduce the heart volume load. It is a new, safe and reliable treatment plan for heart failure.