Therapeutic efficacy and safety of Shexiang Baoxin Pill in relation to anxiety and depression in patients with coronary heart disease

Anxiety and depression are common psychological disorders in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). These changes might affect postoperative treatment and cardiac rehabilitation in patients with CHD. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the curative effects of the Shexiang Baoxin Pill (SBP) on anxiety and depression and prognoses in patients with CHD after percutaneous coronary intervention. A total of 236 patients with CHD and anxiety and/or depression who were admitted to our hospital from March 2021 to April 2023 were selected and non-randomly divided into a control group and a treatment group. Both groups were given medications (antiplatelets, statins, and vasodilators) and intervention therapy for CHD. The treatment group received additional treatment involving SBP administered orally (2 capsules/time, twice a day). All patients were followed up for 3 months. The basic data, laboratory examinations, symptom self-rating scale, anxiety scale (SAS)/depression scale (SDS) scores, and the incidence of cardiovascular adverse events were compared between 2 groups. Two groups of patients remained synchronous in their baseline data, laboratory data, and left ventricular systolic function. Through comparisons of the mental status of patients, we found that the SAS and SDS scores of patients in the SBP treatment group were significantly lower than those in the control group after 1 month and 3 months of treatment. The decreased value of the SAS and SDS scores in the SBP treatment group was significantly higher than the variation in the control group. The proportion of patients with anxiety or depression in the treatment group was significantly lower than the proportion before the SBP treatments. Furthermore, there was no statistically significant difference in the levels of examination data in the follow-up between the 2 groups of patients. The incidence of discomfort symptoms and adverse cardiovascular events in the treatment group was lower than in the control group. The combination of SBP with conventional treatments could not only effectively alleviate anxiety and depression and myocardial ischemia symptoms, but also safely and effectively reduce the occurrence of adverse cardiovascular events in patients with CHD. These findings provide strong clinical evidence for the treatment of dual heart disease with SBP in clinics.