Key result
Astragalus extract yields the greatest 6MWT improvement in HF, while other herbal extracts benefit different outcomes.
Why the study?
Heart failure is a major global health challenge with limitations in traditional therapies, while plant extracts show potential due to medicinal properties and milder side effects.
Do plant extracts improve cardiac function, biomarkers, and quality of life in patients with heart failure?
Meta-Analysis (n=2,077)
Do plant extracts improve cardiac function, biomarkers, and quality of life in patients with heart failure?
Plant extracts such as Astragalus and Shenfu may improve functional capacity and biomarkers in heart failure, though high-quality RCTs are needed to confirm these findings.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
May support adjunctive plant extracts for HF functional capacity; leaves open confirmation by high-quality RCTs due to heterogeneity.
Ethnopharmacological relevance: Heart failure (HF) is a major global health challenge. Traditional therapies have limitations, while recent studies highlight plant extracts' potential due to their medicinal properties and milder side effects. Objective: This study conducts a systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) to assess the therapeutic effects of plant extracts on patients with heart failure, providing robust evidence for clinical practice. Materials and methods: A comprehensive search of databases, including PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library, was performed. Studies were screened using predefined criteria to extract data and assess quality. Network meta-analysis enabled direct/indirect comparisons of multiple plant extracts' efficacy in heart failure intervention. Results: extract showed greater efficacy in ameliorating New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification (SUCRA: 76.5%). Despite these findings, heterogeneity and methodological issues in the studies warrant further high-quality, large-scale randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to validate the results and determine the optimal plant extract use in heart failure treatment. Conclusion: extract, and Shenfu extract have demonstrated significant efficacy in heart failure management in the study for the selection of optimal plant extracts based on enhanced indicators of cardiac function outcomes. Continued research through rigorous randomized controlled trials is essential to substantiate and refine the current evidence.
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Deng et al. (2025) conducted a meta-analysis in Heart failure (n=2,077). Plant extracts (Astragalus, Shenfu, Red ginseng, Ginkgo biloba, Terminalia arjuna, Danhong, Hawthorn) vs. Conventional treatment or placebo was evaluated on Cardiac function outcomes (6-MWT, BNP, LVEF, NYHA, TNF-α, QLQ). Astragalus extract demonstrated the highest efficacy in enhancing 6-minute walk test scores (SUCRA 90.70%), while Shenfu, Red ginseng, and Ginkgo biloba extracts were superior for other cardiac outcomes in heart failure patients.
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