Evaluation of Chinese medicine on heart failure based on NMR metabolomics

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy of traditional Chinese herbs on heart failure (HF) using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomics.MethodsPlasma metabolomics was conducted on both patients with HF and healthy controls. The partial least squares model was applied to determine potential metabolic markers and related metabolic pathways of the disease. HF patients with the traditional Chinese syndrome pattern of qi deficiency and blood stasis were divided into two groups, and treated, respectively, with conventional medicine and a combination of conventional and Chinese herbs, aimed at tonifying qi and activating blood. Healthy participants served as a control group for comparison.Results and conclusionBoth conventional and herbal treatments appear to regulate disorders of amino acid and glucose metabolism. Combined treatment appears to be more comprehensive, indicating that herbal and conventional medicines exert their effects through different mechanisms in treating HF. It can be further inferred that herbs that tonify qi and activate blood may regulate different essential metabolites.