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February 19, 2026Complementary Medicine Research

Improvement of exercise tolerance and physical function in elderly patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction by QiShen YiQi dripping pills

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Key result

QiShen YiQi added to basic therapy improves 6MWD by ~20 meters in HFpEF.

  • Difference 20.38 meters
  • 95% CI 1.74-39.02
  • P=0.035
  • n=84

Why the study?

Decreased exercise tolerance and impaired physical function in elderly patients with HFpEF impair quality of life with limited enhancement from available treatments, prompting investigation into QiShen YiQi dripping pills.

Does the addition of QiShen YiQi dripping pills to standard therapy improve 6-minute walk distance in elderly patients with HFpEF?

Population

84 elderly HFpEF patients ≥ 65 years old

Comparison

QSYQ dripping pills plus basic therapy vs basic therapy alone

Design

Open-label, evaluator-blinded randomized controlled trial

Follow-up

12 weeks

Authors

YLYuXin LiJGJunHao GongXWXiangPei Wang

Discussion

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Overview

May improve exercise tolerance in elderly HFpEF when added to standard therapy; extends limited evidence for adjunctive traditional Chinese medicine.

Key Points

  • The research aimed to evaluate the impact of QiShen YiQi dripping pills on exercise tolerance and physical function in elderly patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.
  • Open-label, evaluator-blinded randomized controlled trial
  • Included 84 elderly HFpEF patients aged ≥ 65 years
  • Divided into control (basic therapy) and treatment (QSYQ plus basic therapy) groups
  • Measured outcomes included 6-minute walk distance and various physical function indices at 12 weeks
  • Treatment group showed a significant increase in 6-minute walk distance compared to control (20.38 meters, P = 0.035)
  • Improvement in SPPB total score and KCCQ score in treatment group (P < 0.001)
  • Decrease in NT-proBNP observed but not statistically significant
  • LAVI significantly improved in treatment group compared to control (P = 0.039)

Study Design

Type

RCT (n=84)

Blinding

Open-label, evaluator-blinded

Randomization

Randomized

Structured PICO

Does the addition of QiShen YiQi dripping pills to standard therapy improve 6-minute walk distance in elderly patients with HFpEF?

P
Population
84 elderly patients (≥ 65 years old) with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF)
I
Intervention
QiShen YiQi (QSYQ) dropping pills (0.5 g/trip, 3 times daily for 12 weeks) added to basic HFpEF therapy
C
Comparator
Basic HFpEF therapy alone (following the 2022 ESC and 2023 Chinese Heart Failure Guidelines)
O
Outcome
6-minute walk distance (6MWD) at 12 weekssurrogate

Main Result

Effect estimate: Difference 20.38 meters (95% CI 1.74-39.02)

p-value: p=0.035

The addition of QiShen YiQi dripping pills to standard therapy may improve exercise tolerance and physical function in elderly patients with HFpEF over 12 weeks.

Limitations

  • Small sample size
  • Design limitations
  • Findings are exploratory and require validation through further large-scale studies for precise clinical value and long-term safety
  • small sample size
  • design limitations

Cite This Study

Li et al. (2026) conducted an RCT in Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) (n=84). QiShen YiQi (QSYQ) dripping pills vs. Basic HFpEF therapy was evaluated on 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) at 12 weeks (Difference 20.38 meters, 95% CI 1.74-39.02, p=0.035). QiShen YiQi dripping pills combined with basic therapy significantly improved 6-minute walk distance compared to basic therapy alone (difference 20.38 meters; 95% CI 1.74-39.02; P=0.035).

synapsesocial.com/papers/6996a7efecb39a600b3ee2d8https://doi.org/10.1159/000550786
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Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Efficacy and Safety of QiShen YiQi Dripping Pills in the Treatment of Coronary Heart Disease Complicating Chronic Heart Failure (Syndrome of Qi Deficiency with Blood Stasis): Study Protocol for a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind and Multi-Centre Phase II Clinical Trial2023 · 11 citations
  2. 2Huangqi injection in the treatment of chronic heart failure2017 · 27 citations
  3. 3Different determinants of exercise capacity in HFpEF compared to HFrEF2017 · 18 citations
  4. 4How to diagnose heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: the HFA–PEFF diagnostic algorithm: a consensus recommendation from the Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)2019 · 1,881 citations
  5. 5The ESC Heart Failure Association postgraduate course in heart failure2016 · 2 citations