Effect of Lujiao prescription on the degree of left ventricular hypertrophy in patients with congestive heart failure

Hui CAI; Wanying HU; Yanjun WANG; Junhao GUO; Bing HU; Junhui ZHANG

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is an important ring-joint of congestive heart failure (CHF). It is also considered to be independent risk factor of cardiovascular disease, so how to reverse or relieve LVH is valuable to cure CHF.

OBJECTIVE:

To observe the effect of Lujiao prescription on degree of LVH in patients with CHF.

DESIGN:

A random-control observation on CHF patients.

SETTING:

Department of Cardiovasology, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

PARTICIPANTS:

A total of 20 patients with CHF were selected from the Special Clinic and Department of Cardiovasology in Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 1996 to December 1998. All of them were consistent with the Framirham diagnostic criteria and following standardizations ①above Ⅲ degree of cardiac functional grading by New York Heart Association (NYHA);②over 3 months case history;③accepted basic treatment of quantity sufficient diuretic and vasodilating agent excluding angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI);LVH was proved by echocardiogram or chest X-ray. They were informed of treatment items and consented.

METHODS:

According to random lot, the patients were divided into Lujiao prescription group and Digoxin group, each containing 10 patients.①Oral administrations of Lujiao prescription (35 mL, two times per day, produced by Shanghai Shuguang Hospital) and Digoxin (0.125-0.25 mg per tablet, batch number 970757, once daily) were given in the corresponding groups, and the treatment duration was 3 months. After treatment, all the patients were detected in①NYHA cardiac functional grading; ②interventricular septal thickness (IVST) and posterior wall thickness (PWT) in diastolic phase through echocardiogram, myocardium weight of left ventricular by Devereux formula, left ventricular mass index (LVMI) corrected by bodysurface area, and degree of LVH;③the level of plasma angiotensin Ⅱ (Ang Ⅱ ) by radioactive immunoassay.MAIN OUTCOME

MEASURES:

NYHA cardiac functional grading, e-chocardiogram (IVST, PWT, LVMI, degree of LVH), the level of plasma Ang Ⅱ.RFSULTS All 20 adopted patients entered the result analysis.①The classification of NYHA cardiac functional grading ( Ⅰ , Ⅱ ,Ⅲ,Ⅳ) were respectively 2, 5, 3, 0 case in Lujiao prescription group and 2, 4, 4, 0 case in Digoxin group after treatment, and difference was significant compared with those before treatment (0, 0, 7, 3, P ＜ 0.05).②IVST, PWT and LVMI of Lujiao prescription group were obviously decreased after treatment [(11.20±0.42), (12.10±0.32) mm, P ＜ 0.01; (10.60±0.84), (11.40±1.10) mm,P ＜ 0.01; (139.4±12.4), (155.3±15.4) g/m2, P ＜ 0.01], while those of the Digoxin group were untouched (P ＞ 0.05). The degree of LVH of Lujiao prescription group after treatment was obviously decreased [normal, mild,moderate, sever 2, 6, 2, 0; 0, 3, 4, 3, P ＜ 0.01], while that of the Digoxin group was not obviously decreased (P ＞ 0.05).③)The level of plasma Ang Ⅱin the Lujiao prescription group was obviously decreased [(97.7±19.5),(144.0±18.5) ng/L, P ＜ 0.01], while that of the Digoxin group was not obviously increased (P ＞ 0.05).

CONCLUSION:

Lujiao prescription can reverse or relieve the degree of LVH in patients with CHF.