Therapeutic Efficacy of Shexiang Baoxin Pill Combined with Exercise in Patients with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction: A Single-Center, Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of Shexiang Baoxin Pill combined with exercise in heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Methods Sixty patients with HFpEF were randomly divided into group A ( n =20), receiving Shexiang Baoxin Pill combined with home-based exercise training based on conventional drugs for 12 weeks; group B ( n =20), receiving conventional drugs combined with home-based exercise training for 12 weeks; and group C ( n =20), receiving conventional drug treatment only. Peak oxygen uptake (peakVO 2 ), anaerobic threshold (AT), 6-min walking test (6MWT), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and SF-36 questionnaire (SF-36) results before and after treatment were compared among groups. Results After the 12-week intervention, patients in group C showed significant declines in peakVO 2 , AT, 6MWT, PSQI, and SF-36 compared with pre-treatment ( P