Danshen decoction in the treatment of heart failure: A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol of randomized controlled trials

Background: Heart failure (HF) is considered the clinical endpoint of all cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Although a large number of HF drugs and therapies have been developed, it is still need to find therapies with better clinical efficacy and fewer side effects. The purpose of this systematic evaluation is to assess the efficacy and safety of Danshen decoction on HF and the improvement of cardiac function (CF). Methods: Four databases will be searched to identify any eligible studies, and this protocol does not require ethics committee review as the research is based on published articles. There are no restrictions set for the language, publication date, or status of the study. The clinical effective rate (CER) of HF treatment is considered to be the main result. CF, various serum inflammatory factors, and adverse events were defined as secondary outcomes. When more than 1 article is used to study the changes and results of the same index, we will conduct a meta-analysis. If the heterogeneity is not statistically significant (P > .10 or I (2) < 50%), a fixed-effect model will be established to estimate the overall intervention effect. Otherwise, random effect models will be used to provide more conservative results. Results: The results of this meta-analysis will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication. Conclusion: This study will provide reliable evidence-based basis for the clinical application of Danshen decoction in the treatment of HF.