Does adding qiliqiangxin to my current treatment help my heart failure with reduced ejection fraction?
Qiliqiangxin (QLQX) is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been studied as an add-on to standard heart failure therapy. For people with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), adding QLQX may lower the risk of cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure. The evidence comes from a large randomized trial (QUEST) and a meta-analysis of 24 studies.
What the research says
The QUEST trial randomly assigned 3110 patients with HFrEF to receive QLQX or placebo on top of their usual treatment. Over follow-up, QLQX reduced the combined risk of cardiovascular death or first heart failure hospitalization. The benefit was consistent across different levels of ejection fraction, meaning it helped patients with both very low and moderately reduced heart function 2.
A meta-analysis of 24 randomized controlled trials (5580 patients) found that adding QLQX to conventional treatment significantly reduced cardiovascular death by about 18% and heart failure hospitalization by about 27% 8. These results support QLQX as a useful add-on therapy for HFrEF.
Other treatments for HFrEF have also been studied. For example, a network meta-analysis of glucose-lowering drugs in patients with HFrEF and type 2 diabetes found that Sotagliflozin reduced the composite of cardiovascular death or heart failure hospitalization 1. However, QLQX is specifically a Chinese herbal medicine, not a diabetes drug, and its effects appear independent of blood sugar control.
It is important to note that QLQX is not a replacement for your current guideline-directed therapy. The studies added QLQX on top of standard medications, not instead of them 28.
What to ask your doctor
- Could qiliqiangxin be a safe addition to my current heart failure medications?
- Are there any known interactions between qiliqiangxin and my other drugs?
- How should I monitor for side effects if I start qiliqiangxin?
- Is qiliqiangxin available and approved in my country?
- Would the benefits shown in the QUEST trial apply to my specific ejection fraction level?
This question is drawn from common patient questions about this topic and answered using cited medical research. We do not provide individualized advice.