Table 2.
Features of the studies.
| Author(s), year | Country | Trials (subjects) | Treatment intervention | Control intervention | Quality assessment | Main results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Du and Dai, 2014 [21] | China | 13 (1050) | WXKL + CM | CM | Jadad | WXKL can increase clinical efficacy, reduce ventricular rate, improve the rate of relapse, and reduce the rate of adverse events when compared to standard CM treatment |
| Huang et al., 2018 [22] | China | 24 (1938) | WXKL + metoprolol | Metoprolol | Cochrane criteria, Jadad | WXKL coupled with metoprolol has a higher efficacy than CM alone in the treatment of AF, and it has a decent safety profile |
| Li et al., 2018 [32] | China | 24 (2246) | WXKL, WXKL + CM | Placebo, CM | Cochrane criteria | While WXKL alone or in combination with CM has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of AF, this must be confirmed by high-quality data |
| Wang et al., 2015 [28] | China | 21 (924) | WXKL + amiodarone | Amiodarone | Jadad | WXKL in combination with amiodarone has great efficacy in the treatment of AF, with few adverse effects and a generally safe side effect profile |
| Wang et al., 2019 [31] | China | 42 (4657) | WXKL + CM | CM | Cochrane criteria | The combined application of WXKL in the treatment of AF has significant efficacy, and all main clinical efficacy indicators are superior to western anti-arrhythmic drugs alone. There is no evidence that WXKL alone can bring more benefits |
| Xin et al., 2019 [30] | China | 11 (941) | WXKL + CM | CM | Cochrane criteria | WXKL combined with traditional CM treatment has a better effect than conventional CM treatment in lowering plasma BNP or NT-proBNP levels, slowing ventricular rate, and improving left ventricular ejection fraction in heart failure and AF patients; it has less side effects |
| Yang et al., 2019 [27] | China | 17 (1735) | WXKL + CM | CM | Cochrane criteria | WXKL paired with CM had higher clinical effectiveness than CM alone in treating AF, with a lower recurrence rate and good safety |
| Zhao et al., 2014 [29] | China | 11 (805) | WXKL + metoprolol | Metoprolol | Cochrane criteria | In the treatment of AF, the combination of WXKL and metoprolol was superior to metoprolol alone in terms of relieving symptoms and delaying the beginning of AF. Between the two groups, there was no significant statistical difference in the rate of adverse reactions |
WXKL: Wenxin Keli; CM: conventional medication; AF: atrial fibrillation.