OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Chinese medicine Shenshao Tablet (SST) on the: quality of life in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients with stable angina pectoris (SAP).

METHODSSixty-six: patients with SAP confirmed by coronary angiography were enrolled and assigned to two groups by means of PROC PLAN using a SAS 6.12 software in a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled design. Patients in the treated group were treated with SST, and the others in the control group were given placebo. The weekly angina frequency, quality of life scale [Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ)] and incidence of important clinical events were observed to evaluate the intervention effect of SST on the quality of life for CHD patients with SAP.

RESULTSDuring the study, one case dropped out in the treated group and two cases in the control group,: respectively, and 63 cases including 32 cases in the treated group, and 31 cases in the control group completed the trial. After four weeks of treatment, the weekly angina frequency of the treated group (5.32+/-2.46 times per week) was significantly less than that of the control group (7.32+/-3.20 times per week, P<0.05). The total score of the quality of life in the treated group (71.30+/-5.44) was obviously higher than that in the control group (63.50+/-4.60, P<0.01), and the angina stability, angina frequency, and treatment satisfaction were significantly superior to those in the control group (P<0.01). The incidence of important clinical events of the treated group (3.1%) was lower than that of the control group (6.5%) during the six-month follow-up period, but the difference was insignificant (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSST could lower the angina frequency and greatly improve the quality of: life in CHD patients with SAP.