OBJECTIVETo observe the relationship of Chinese medicine (CM) syndrome pattern with heart function detected by ultrasonic cardiography and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) level in patients with heart failure (HF).

METHODSOne hundred and sixteen inpatients of HF hospitalized in Dongfang Hospital from January, 2007 to January, 2009 were assigned to three groups according to their CM syndrome pattern differentiated, the qi-yin deficiency group (QYD), the qi-deficiency and blood-stasis group (QDBS) and the yang-deficiency with water overflowing group (YDWO). Ultrasonic cardiographic (USCG) parameters, including left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVEDs), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDd) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were detected, and blood level of BNP was measured.

RESULTSLVEF was decreased while BNP was increased in patients with syndrome patterns in the order of QYD --> QDBS --> YDWO, and showed significant difference between groups (P < 0.01); CM syndrome patterns was related with all the USCG parameters and BNP level, especially the BNP (r = 0.71, P < 0.05) and LVEF (r = -0.34, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONLVEF and BNP can reflect the severity of heart failure, and they could be taken as the beneficial objective and quantitative indices for syndrome pattern differentiation.