BACKGROUND: Ventricular remodeling after acute anterior wall ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (AAMI) is an important factor in occurrence of heart failure which additionally results in poor prognosis. Therefore, the treatment of ventricular remodeling needs to be further optimized. Compound Danshen Dripping Pills (CDDP), a traditional Chinese medicine, exerts a protective effect on microcirculatory disturbance caused by ischemia-reperfusion injury and attenuates ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction. OBJECTIVE: This study is designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CDDP in improving ventricular remodeling and cardiac function after AAMI on a larger scale. METHODS: This study is a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group clinical trial. The total of 268 patients with AAMI after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) will be randomly assigned 1:1 to the CDDP group (n=134) and control group (n=134) with a follow-up of 48 weeks. Both groups will be treated with standard therapy of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), with the CDDP group administrating 20 tablets of CDDP before pPCI and 10 tablets 3 times daily after pPCI, and the control group treated with a placebo simultaneously. The primary endpoint is 48-week echocardiographic outcomes including left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular end-diastolic volume index (LVEDVI), and left ventricular end-systolic volume index (LVESVI). The secondary endpoint includes the change in N terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) level, arrhythmias, and cardiovascular events (death, cardiac arrest, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, rehospitalization due to heart failure or angina pectoris, deterioration of cardiac function, and stroke). Investigators and patients are both blinded to the allocated treatment. DISCUSSION This prospective study will investigate the efficacy and safety of CDDP in improving ventricular remodeling and cardiac function in patients undergoing pPCI for a first AAMI. Patients in the CDDP group will be compared with those in the control group. If certified to be effective, CDDP treatment in AAMI will probably be advised on a larger scale. (Trial registration No. NCT05000411).
Humans ; ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction/therapy* ; Stroke Volume ; Ventricular Remodeling ; Prospective Studies ; Microcirculation ; Ventricular Function, Left ; Myocardial Infarction/etiology* ; Treatment Outcome ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/adverse effects* ; Heart Failure/drug therapy* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Multicenter Studies as Topic

This study aims to systematically review the efficacy and safety of different traditional Chinese medicine injections combined with conventional treatment for patients with post-acute myocardial infarction heart failure. The relevant randomized controlled trial(RCT) was retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, EMbase, and Cochrane Library with the time interval from inception to May 13, 2023. Two reviewers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias of the included studies. Network Meta-analysis was then performed in RevMan 5.3 and Stata 15.1. A total of 68 RCTs involving 11 traditional Chinese medicine injections and 5 995 patients were included. The results were explained based on the surface under the cumulative ranking curve(SUCRA).(1) In terms of reducing major adverse cardiovascular event(MACE), the therapies followed the trend of Xinmailong Injection+conventional treatment(83.8%) > Yiqi Fumai Injection+conventional treatment(57.1%) > Xuebijing Injection+conventional treatment(56.6%) > Shenmai Injection+conventional treatment(53.1%) > Shenfu Injection+conventional treatment(45.3%) > conventional treatment(4.0%).(2) In terms of increasing left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF), the therapies followed the trend of Yiqi Fumai Injection+conventional treatment(84.0%) > Shenmai Injection+conventional treatment(69.6%) > Shenfu Injection+conventional treatment(62.7%) > Xinmailong Injection+conventional treatment(61.6%) > Shuxuening Injection+conventional treatment(54.8%) > Shenqi Fuzheng Injection+conventional treatment(46.7%) > Shengmai Injection+conventional treatment(45.9%) > Breviscapine Injection+conventional treatment(39.9%) > Danhong Injection+conventional treatment(38.8%) > Huangqi Injection+conventional treatment(38.7%) > conventional treatment(7.3%).(3) In terms of reducing B-type natriuretic peptide(BNP), the therapies followed the trend of Xinmailong Injection+conventional treatment(98.6%) > Shenmai Injection+conventional treatment(57.7%) > Shenfu Injection+conventional treatment(52.5%) > Shengmai Injection+conventional treatment(30.1%) > conventional treatment(11.0%).(4) In terms of reducing cardiac troponin Ⅰ(cTnⅠ), the therapies followed the trend of Shenmai Injection+conventional treatment(92.3%) > Yiqi Fumai Injection+conventional treatment(61.5%) > Shenfu Injection+conventional treatment(51.2%) > Shengmai Injection+conventional treatment(48.1%) > Xinmailong Injection+conventional treatment(26.6%) > conventional treatment(20.3%).(5) In terms of reducing high-sensitivity C-reactive protein(hs-CRP), the therapies followed the trend of Shenmai Injection+conventional treatment(79.9%) > Xinmailong Injection+conventional treatment(68.1%) > Shenfu Injection+conventional treatment(63.1%) > Xuebijing Injection+conventional treatment(56.7%) > Shengmai Injection+conventional treatment(51.1%) > Shenqi Fuzheng Injection+conventional treatment(42.8%) > Huangqi Injection+conventional treatment(34.7%) > conventional treatment(3.5%).(6) A total of 22 RCTs reported the occurrence of adverse reactions, mainly involving the damage of the circulatory system, digestive system, and coagulation function. The current evidence suggested that Xinmailong Injection+conventional treatment may have the best therapeutic effect in reducing MACE and BNP; Yiqi Fumai Injection+conventional treatment may be the best in increasing LVEF; Shenmai Injection+conventional treatment may be the best in reducing cTnI and hs-CRP. The safety needs further quantitative research and analysis. However, more high-quality RCT is required to validate the above conclusions due to limitations in the quality and quantity of the included studies.
Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Stroke Volume ; Network Meta-Analysis ; C-Reactive Protein ; Ventricular Function, Left ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Myocardial Infarction/drug therapy* ; Heart Failure/drug therapy*

Objective: To evaluate the impact of interventional therapy on top of drug therapy on cardiac function and structure in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) patients complicating with middle aortic syndrome caused by Takayasu arteritis (TA-MAS). Methods: It was a retrospective longitudinal study. The data of patients with TA-MAS and HFrEF, who received interventional therapy on top of drug therapy in Fuwai Hospital from January 2010 to September 2020, were collected and analyzed. Baseline clinical data (including demographic data, basic treatment, etc.) were collected through the electronic medical record system. Changes of indexes such as New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVEDD), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular mass index (LVMI) before and after therapy were analyzed. Results: A total of 10 patients were collected. There were 8 females in this patient cohort, age was (18.4±5.0) years and onset age was (15.3±5.0) years. All 10 patients received standard heart failure medication therapy in addition to hormone and/or immunosuppressive anti-inflammatory therapy, but cardiac function was not improved, so aortic balloon dilatation and/or aortic stenting were performed in these patients. The median follow-up was 3.3(1.3, 5.6) years. On the third day after interventional therapy, the clinical symptoms of the 10 patients were significantly improved, NYHA classfication was restored from preoperative Ⅲ/Ⅳ to Ⅱ at 6 months post intervention(P<0.05). Compared with preoperation, NT-proBNP (P=0.028), LVEDD (P=0.011) and LVMI (P=0.019) were significantly decreased, LVEF was significantly increased (P<0.001) at 6 months after operation. Compared with preoperation, NT-proBNP (P=0.016), LVEDD (P=0.023) and LVMI (P=0.043) remained decreased, LVEF remained increased (P<0.001) at 1 year after operation. Conclusion: Results from short and medium term follow-up show that interventional therapy on top of heart failure drug therpay can effectively improve left cardiac function and attenuate cardiac remodeling in patients with TA-MAS comorbid with HFrEF.
Adolescent ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Young Adult ; Heart Failure/surgery* ; Longitudinal Studies ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain ; Peptide Fragments ; Retrospective Studies ; Stroke Volume ; Takayasu Arteritis/surgery* ; Ventricular Function, Left/drug effects* ; Heart Ventricles/drug effects* ; Male ; Cardiovascular Agents/therapeutic use* ; Angioplasty, Balloon ; Stents ; Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation

To systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Compound Danshen Dripping Pills combined with conventional antihypertensive drugs in the treatment of hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy. China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI), Wanfang, VIP, PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library, Ovid and Web of Science databases were searched by computer to retrieve the randomized controlled trials(RCTs) of Compound Danshen Dripping Pills combined with conventional antihypertensive drugs in the treatment of hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy from the establishment of databases to July 2020. After two researchers performed data retrieval, data extraction, and risk assessment of bias, they used RevMan 5.3 software for Meta-analysis. A total of 10 RCTs were included, with a total of 979 patients. Meta-analysis results showed that in terms of interventricular septal thickness(MD=-0.70, 95%CI[-1.15,-0.24], P=0.003), left ventricular posterior wall thickness(MD=-0.81, 95%CI[-1.41,-0.21], P=0.008), left ventricular mass index(MD=-8.75, 95%CI[-17.40,-0.10], P=0.05), systolic blood pressure(MD=-8.97, 95%CI[-13.46,-4.48], P<0.000 1), diastolic blood pressure(MD=-5.87, 95%CI[-8.39,-3.34], P<0.000 01) and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter(MD=-1.73, 95%CI[-2.38,-1.08], P<0.000 01), Compound Danshen Dripping Pills combined with conventional antihypertensive drugs was superior to conventional antihypertensive drugs. In terms of left ventricular ejection fraction(MD=0.41, 95%CI[-0.74, 1.55], P=0.49), there was no statistical difference in treatment between the two groups. Because of the small amount of literatures included in the safety aspect, it is impossible to give an accurate conclusion. The GRADE score showed that the level of evidence was low and extremely low. The results show that the Compound Danshen Dripping Pills combined with conventional antihypertensive drugs may effectively improve the clinical efficacy for hypertensive ventricular hypertrophy, and the safety needs to be further explored. Due to the low quality of the included literatures, more high-quality RCTs are needed for verification.
Antihypertensive Agents/adverse effects* ; China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Humans ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular/drug therapy* ; Stroke Volume ; Treatment Outcome ; Ventricular Function, Left

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We evaluated the association between coding region variants of adrenergic receptor genes and therapeutic effect in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). METHODS: One hundred patients with stable CHF (left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF] < 45%) were enrolled. Enrolled patients started 1.25 mg bisoprolol treatment once daily, then up-titrated to the maximally tolerable dose, at which they were treated for 1 year. RESULTS: Genotypic analysis was carried out, but the results were blinded to the investigators throughout the study period. At position 389 of the beta-1 adrenergic receptor gene (ADRB1), the observed minor Gly allele frequency (Gly389Arg + Gly389Gly) was 0.21, and no deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was observed in the genotypic distribution of Arg389Gly (p = 0.75). Heart rate was reduced from 80.8 +/- 14.3 to 70.0 +/- 15.0 beats per minute (p < 0.0001). There was no significant difference in final heart rate across genotypes. However, the Arg389Arg genotype group required significantly more bisoprolol compared to the Gly389X (Gly389Arg + Gly389Gly) group (5.26 +/- 2.62 mg vs. 3.96 +/- 2.05 mg, p = 0.022). There were no significant differences in LVEF changes or remodeling between two groups. Also, changes in exercise capacity and brain natriuretic peptide level were not significant. However, interestingly, there was a two-fold higher rate of readmission (21.2% vs. 10.0%, p = 0.162) and one CHF-related death in the Arg389Arg group. CONCLUSIONS: The ADRB1 Gly389X genotype showed greater response to bisoprolol than the Arg389Arg genotype, suggesting the potential of individually tailoring beta-blocker therapy according to genotype.
Adrenergic beta-1 Receptor Antagonists/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Adult ; Aged ; Bisoprolol/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Heart Failure/diagnosis/*drug therapy/*genetics/physiopathology ; Heart Rate/drug effects ; Humans ; Male ; Maximum Tolerated Dose ; Middle Aged ; Pharmacogenomic Testing ; Phenotype ; *Polymorphism, Genetic ; Precision Medicine ; Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-1/*drug effects/*genetics ; Republic of Korea ; Stroke Volume/drug effects ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome ; Ventricular Function, Left/drug effects ; Ventricular Remodeling/drug effects

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers (ARBs) have not been adequately evaluated in patients without left ventricular (LV) dysfunction or heart failure after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHODS: Between November 2005 and January 2008, 6,781 patients who were not receiving angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or ARBs were selected from the Korean AMI Registry. The primary endpoints were 12-month major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) including death and recurrent AMI. RESULTS: Seventy percent of the patients were Killip class 1 and had a LV ejection fraction > or = 40%. The prescription rate of ARBs was 12.2%. For each patient, a propensity score, indicating the likelihood of using ARBs during hospitalization or at discharge, was calculated using a non-parsimonious multivariable logistic regression model, and was used to match the patients 1:4, yielding 715 ARB users versus 2,860 ACEI users. The effect of ARBs on in-hospital mortality and 12-month MACE occurrence was assessed using matched logistic and Cox regression models. Compared with ACEIs, ARBs significantly reduced in-hospital mortality(1.3% vs. 3.3%; hazard ratio [HR], 0.379; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.190 to0.756; p = 0.006) and 12-month MACE occurrence (4.6% vs. 6.9%; HR, 0.661; 95% CI, 0.457 to 0.956; p = 0.028). However, the benefit of ARBs on 12-month mortality compared with ACEIs was marginal (4.3% vs. 6.2%; HR, 0.684; 95% CI, 0.467 to 1.002; p = 0.051). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that ARBs are not inferior to, and may actually be better than ACEIs in Korean patients with AMI.
Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Chi-Square Distribution ; Hospital Mortality ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Logistic Models ; Multivariate Analysis ; Myocardial Infarction/diagnosis/*drug therapy/mortality/physiopathology ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Prospective Studies ; Recurrence ; Registries ; Republic of Korea ; Risk Factors ; Secondary Prevention/*methods ; Stroke Volume ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome ; Ventricular Function, Left

BACKGROUNDPrevious studies have suggested that β1-receptor blockers benefit septic shock patients. This study aimed to determine whether β1-receptor blockers benefit tissue perfusion in sepsis and to identify parameters to reduce the risk of this drug in sepsis.

METHODSConsecutive septic shock patients were recruited from the Intensive Care Unit of Peking Union Medical College Hospital within 48 h of diagnosis. All patients were hemodynamically stable and satisfactorily sedated with a heart rate (HR) ≥100 beats/min. Esmolol therapy achieved the target HR of 10-15% lower than the baseline HR. Clinical and physiological data of patients were collected prospectively within 1 h prior to esmolol therapy and 2 h after achieving the targeted HR.

RESULTSSixty-three patients were recruited. After esmolol therapy, blood pressure was unaltered, whereas stroke volume (SV) was increased compared with before esmolol therapy (43.6 ± 22.7 vs. 49.9 ± 23.7 ml, t = -2.3, P = 0.047). Tissue perfusion, including lactate levels (1.4 ± 0.8 vs. 1.1 ± 0.6 mmol/L, t = 2.6, P = 0.015) and the central venous-to-arterial carbon dioxide difference (5.6 ± 3.3 vs. 4.3 ± 2.2 mmHg, t = 2.6 P = 0.016), was also significantly decreased after esmolol therapy. For patients with increased SV (n = 42), cardiac efficiency improved, and esmolol therapy had a lower risk for a decrease in cardiac output (CO). Therefore, pretreatment cardiac systolic and diastolic parameters with (n = 42)/without (n = 21) an increase in SV were compared. Mitral lateral annular plane systolic excursion (MAPSElat) in patients with increased SV was significantly higher than that in those without increased SV (1.3 ± 0.3 vs. 1.1 ± 0.2 cm, t = 2.4, P = 0.034).

CONCLUSIONSSV of septic shock patients is increased following esmolol therapy. Although CO is also decreased with HR, tissue perfusion is not worse. MAPSElat can be used to predict an increase in SV before esmolol use.

TRIAL REGISTRATIONClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01920776; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01920776?term=NCT01920776&rank=1.

Adrenergic beta-1 Receptor Antagonists ; therapeutic use ; Adult ; Aged ; Cardiac Output ; drug effects ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Heart Rate ; drug effects ; Hemodynamics ; drug effects ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; Propanolamines ; therapeutic use ; Shock, Septic ; drug therapy ; Stroke Volume ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and safety of Ginkgo Biloba extract for patients with angina pectoris according to the available evidence.

METHODSElectronic databases were searched for all of the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of angina pectoris treatments with Ginkgo Biloba extract, either alone or combined with routine Western medicine (RWM), and controlled by untreated, placebo, Chinese patent medicine, or RWM treatment. The RCTs were retrieved from the following electronic databases: PubMed/MEDLINE, ProQuest Health and Medical Complete, Springer, Elsevier, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, Wanfang Data, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP database, China Biology Medicine (CBM), Chinese Medical Citation Index (CMCI), from the earliest database records to December 2012. No language restriction was applied. Study selection, data extraction, quality assessment, and data analyses were conducted according to the Cochrane standards. RevMan 5.1.0 provided by Cochrane Collaboration The data were analysed by using.

RESULTSA total of 23 RCTs (involving 2,529 patients) were included and the methodological quality was evaluated as generally low. Ginkgo Biloba extract with RWM was more effective in angina relief and electrocardiogram improvement than RWM alone. Reported adverse events included epigastric discomfort, nausea, gastrointestinal reaction, and bitter taste.

CONCLUSIONSGinkgo Biloba extract may have beneficial effects on patients with angina pectoris, although the low quality of existing trials makes it difficult to draw a satisfactory conclusion. More rigorous, high quality clinical trials are needed to provide conclusive evidence.

Angina Pectoris ; diagnostic imaging ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Cardiac Output ; Clinical Trials as Topic ; Ginkgo biloba ; chemistry ; Humans ; Plant Extracts ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Stroke Volume ; drug effects ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study was designed to evaluate the dose-effect relationship of statins in patients with ischemic congestive heart failure (CHF), since the role of statins in CHF remains unclear. METHODS: The South koreAn Pitavastatin Heart FaIluRE (SAPHIRE) study was designed to randomize patients with ischemic CHF into daily treatments of 10 mg pravastatin or 4 mg pitavastatin. RESULTS: The low density lipoprotein cholesterol level decreased by 30% in the pitavastatin group compared with 12% in the pravastatin (p < 0.05) group. Left ventricular systolic dimensions decreased significantly by 9% in the pitavastatin group and by 5% in the pravastatin group. Left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) improved significantly from 37% to 42% in the pitavastatin group and from 35% to 39% in the pravastatin group. Although the extent of the EF change was greater in the pitavastatin group (16% vs. 11%) than that in the pravastatin group, no significant difference was observed between the groups (p = 0.386). Exercise capacity, evaluated by the 6-min walking test, improved significantly in the pravastatin group (p < 0.001), but no change was observed in the pitavastatin group (p = 0.371). CONCLUSIONS: Very low dose/low potency pravastatin and high dose/high potency pitavastatin had a beneficial effect on cardiac reverse remodeling and improved systolic function in patients with ischemic CHF. However, only pravastatin significantly improved exercise capacity. These findings suggest that lowering cholesterol too much may not be beneficial for patients with CHF.
Aged ; Biological Markers/blood ; Cholesterol, LDL/*blood ; Down-Regulation ; Dyslipidemias/blood/diagnosis/*drug therapy/epidemiology ; Exercise Tolerance/drug effects ; Female ; Heart Failure/diagnosis/*drug therapy/epidemiology/physiopathology ; Humans ; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors/*administration & dosage/adverse effects ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Ischemia/diagnosis/*drug therapy/epidemiology/physiopathology ; Pravastatin/*administration & dosage/adverse effects ; Prospective Studies ; Quinolines/*administration & dosage/adverse effects ; Recovery of Function ; Republic of Korea ; Stroke Volume/drug effects ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome ; Ventricular Function, Left/drug effects ; Ventricular Remodeling/drug effects

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the cardioprotective effects of dexrazoxane (DEX) on breast cancer patients who received anthracycline-containing chemotherapy.

METHODSA total of 122 breast cancer patients after operation were randomly divided into two groups: The experimental group of 61 cases treated with EPI plus DEX (DEX:EPI = 10:1) as adjuvant chemotherapy regimen, and the control group of 61 cases treated with EPI but without DEX. All patients received four cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy and their changes of specific cardiac functional status and hematology status before and after chemotherapy, as well as non-cardiac toxicity were observed and analyzed.

RESULTSBrain natriuretic peptide (BNP) before chemotherapy and after four cycles of chemotherapy in the control group was (106.78 ± 4.52)×10(-6) µg/ml and (187.19 ± 8.71)×10(-6) µg/ml, respectively, with a significant difference between them (P < 0.05). It in the experimental group was (102.34 ± 8.76)×10(-6) µg/ml and (105.29 ± 7.21)×10(-6) µg/ml, respectively, without a significant difference (P > 0.05). Cardiac troponin T (cTnT) before chemotherapy and after four cycles of chemotherapy in the control group was (12.55 ± 2.73)×10(-3) µg/ml and ( 31.05 ± 7.10 )×10(-3) µg/ml, respectively, with a significant difference between them (P < 0.05). It in the experimental group was (12.70 ± 2.15)×10(-3) µg/ml and (13.65 ± 7.82)×10(-3) µg/ml, respectively, without a significant difference (P > 0.05). The hart rate (HR) before chemotherapy and after four cycles of chemotherapy in the control group, was 75.32 ± 7.14 bpm and 89.60 ± 9.21 bpm, respectively, with a significant difference (P < 0.05). It in the experimental group was 78.60 ± 6.29 bpm and 83.10 ± 7.56 bpm, respectively, without a significant difference (P > 0.05). The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) before chemotherapy and after four cycles of chemotherapy in the control group was (65.23 ± 7.82)% and (55.21 ± 7.23)%, respectively, with a significant difference between them (P < 0.05). It in the experimental group was (64.12 ± 6.25)% and (59.6 ± 4.72)%, respectively, without a significant difference (P > 0.05). The absolute neutrophil count before chemotherapy and after four cycles of chemotherapy in the control group was (3.95 ± 1.36)×10(9)/L and (3.50 ± 1.52)×10(9)/L, respectively, without a significant difference (P > 0.05). It in the experimental group, was (4.96 ± 1.41)×10(9)/L and (3.10 ± 1.26)×10(9)/L, respectively, with a significant difference (P < 0.05). The incidence of grade I-IV bone marrow suppression in the experimental group was 21.3%, 16.4%, 24.6%, and 4.9%, respectively. It in the control group was 16.4%, 11.5%, 9.8%, and 5.5%, respectively, with a significant difference (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSCardiac toxicity after anthracycline treatment in breast cancer patients may be significantly reduced by DEX, without increase of non-cardiac and and non-hematologic toxicity. DEX combined with anthracycline increases the risk of bone marrow suppression, therefore, peripheral blood picture should be monitored or routine bone marrow support may be needed.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Bone Marrow ; drug effects ; Breast Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Cardiovascular Agents ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Epirubicin ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Rate ; drug effects ; Humans ; Leukocyte Count ; Middle Aged ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain ; metabolism ; Neutrophils ; cytology ; Razoxane ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Stroke Volume ; drug effects ; Young Adult