OBJECTIVE  To evaluate the effect of Yiqi Huoxue formula on myocardial fibrosis in patients with heart failure after acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

  METHODS  A total of 41 patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction with qi deficiency and blood stasis who attended the Jiangsu Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese from February 2019 to January 2021 were selected and divided into 20 cases in the control group and 21 cases in the study group according to the random number table. The control group was given standard treatment for myocardial infarction, while the study group was treated with Yiqi Huoxue formula based on the standard treatment. The course of treatment was 12 weeks. Before and after treatment, we observed the changes of both groups in the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome score, clinical efficacy, human plasma lipoprotein-related phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2), hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), 6 minutes walk test (6MWT), echocardiographic parameters left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left atrium dimension (LAD), left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD), extracellular volume (ECV) and longitudinal relaxation time (T1) by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.

  RESULTS  After treatment, the TCM syndrome scores were reduced in both groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), but study group presented better curative effects in chest tingling, shortness of breath, faint low voice, lusterless complexion, post-activity fatigue, spontaneous sweating, scaly skin, as well as total score (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). In addition, the clinical efficacy of TCM in the study group was better than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The levels of Lp-PLA2, hs-CRP, IL-6, NT-proBNP, ECV and T1 were reduced in both groups (P < 0.05), but the results of the study group were better than those of the control group (P < 0.05). Besides, the results of 6MWT and LVEF were increased in both groups (P < 0.05), but the results of the study group were better than those of the control group (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the comparison of major cardiovascular adverse events between the two groups (P>0.05).

  CONCLUSION  Yiqi Huoxue formula can mitigate the clinical symptoms of patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), improve the clinical efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine, and inhibit myocardial fibrosis. The mechanism may be related to the reduction of the inflammatory response.