The Efficacy of Zhenwu Decoction Combined with Cardiac Rehabilitation in Treating Elderly Patients with Chronic Heart Failure

HUANG Haibin; KE Jia; CHEN Junxiu; ZHENG Gengdong; LI Hui

doi:10.12102/j.issn.1672-1349.2025.21.014

Abstract：Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of Zhenwu Decoction combined with Phase I cardiac rehabilitation in elderly patients with chronic heart failure. Methods: A total of 66 inpatients with chronic heart failure who were treated in our hospital's general ward from May 2022 to December 2023 were selected as the study subjects. The patients were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group at a ratio of 1:1, with 33 patients in each group. Both groups received exercise rehabilitation on the basis of basic drug therapy. The experimental group received additional treatment with Zhenwu Decoction. The 6-minute walk test (6MWT), TCM symptom score, functional fitness measurement, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels, Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) scores, and TCM symptom efficacy were compared before and after treatment between the two groups. Results: The total effective rate of TCM symptoms in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group, with a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). After treatment, the TCM symptom scores of both groups decreased compared to before treatment, and the experimental group had lower scores than the control group, with statistically significant differences (P < 0.05). After treatment, NT-proBNP and 6MWT values of both groups increased compared to before treatment, and the experimental group had higher values than the control group, with statistically significant differences (P < 0.05). After treatment, the functional fitness indicators of both groups improved compared to before treatment, with statistically significant differences (P < 0.05). After treatment, the MLHFQ scores of both groups decreased compared to before treatment, and the experimental group had lower scores than the control group, with statistically significant differences (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Zhenwu Decoction combined with cardiac rehabilitation can effectively improve the TCM symptoms, exercise capacity, and overall functional level of elderly patients with chronic heart failure, and its effect is better than that of pure exercise rehabilitation.