[Meta-analysis of supplemented Zhenwu decoction for treating congestive heart-failure]

The paper was to systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy of supplemented Zhenwu decoction for treating congestive heart-failure. Three foreign language databases including the Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMbase and four Chinese databases including CBM, CNKI, VIP and Wanfang Database were retrieved from their establishment to July 2016 for all randomized control trials(RCTs) on supplemented Zhenwu decoction in treatment of congestive heart-failure. The references in the included RCTs were also traced. Literature selection and information extraction was completed and screened by two independent reviewers, and Meta-analysis was performed by using RevMan 5.3 software. Totally 13 clinical RCTs were included in this study, involving 982 patients. Meta-analysis results showed that as compared with western medicine alone, the total effective rate of heart function could be improved by applying supplemented Zhenwu decoction based on the western medicine[RR=1.16, 95%CI (1.10, 1.22)], with increased ejection fraction[MD=7.12, 95%CI= (3.98,10.27)], increased cardiac activity index[MD=6.92, 95%CI (5.21, 8.62)], increased stroke volume [MD=11.18, 95%CI (6.04, 16.33)], and increased heart index[MD=0.50, 95%CI (-0.29, 1.30)]. Supplemented Zhenwu decoction combined with routine treatment could improve the clinical symptoms of congestive heart-failure. However, due to the low quality in methodology and reports as well as small sample size of included RCTs in this study, more randomized double-blind trials with a large sample size are still required to verify the efficiency of supplemented Zhenwu decoction for treating congestive heart-failure.