Volume 25, Issue 114, August 2021

Efficacy of Rhubarb root extract on quality of life in patients with systolic heart failure: A randomized placebo controlled study

Zohre Gholami¹, Mohsen Bahrami², Mohammad Kamalinejad³, Hassan Ahangar^4♦, Tara Reshadmanesh⁵, Sepehr Gohari⁵

¹Department of Persian and Traditional Medicine, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
²Department of Persian and Traditional Medicine, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research Center, Tehran, Iran
³Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
⁴Department of Cardiology, Mousavi Hospital, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
⁵Student Research Center, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran

^♦Corresponding author
Department of Cardiology, Mousavi Hospital, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran

ABSTRACT

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the role of Rheum palmatum on quality of life and cardiac function in patients with systolic heart failure. Material and Method: This was a parallel double-blind, placebo-controlled trial study from April to August 2019. Total of 60 patients with systolic heart failure were randomly assigned to Rheum palmatum and placebo groups. The intervention group received Rheum palmatum capsules (containing 250 mg of dry extract of Rheum palmatum root and 250 mg corn starch) and the placebo group received capsules containing 500 mg corn starch twice-daily for 60 days. The primary outcomes were the enhancement of quality of life (QoL) based on the Minnesota questionnaire and the 6-minute walk test. The secondary outcomes were the improvement of cardiac function and serum biochemical markers. Results: Before treatment, no significant difference between study groups in terms of clinical, laboratory, imaging and QoL results were seen (P>0.05). After treatment, none of the study groups had superiority considering the QoL parameters and patients’ exercise tests (P>0.05). The echocardiographic findings showed significant improvement in LV and RV systolic function (P<0.05). Conclusion: Short term treatment with Rheum palmatum extract has beneficial effect on cardiac function but not on patients’ quality of life.

Keywords: Echocardiography, Heart Failure, Quality of Life, Rheum palmatum, Randomized Controlled Trial.

Medical Science, 2021, 25(114), 2096-2104

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