Abstract: Objective To investigate the efficacy of Qili Qiangxin capsules in the treatment of elderly patients with moderate or severe pulmonary heart disease (PHD) caused by acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). Methods A total of 88 elderly patients with moderate or severe PHD caused by AECOPD who were admitted to our hospital from March 2021 to February 2024 were enrolled as subjects, and they were divided into control group and observation group using a random number table, with 44 patients in each group. The patients in the control group received conventional treatment, and those in the observation group received conventional treatment combined with Qili Qiangxin capsules. The course of treatment was 2 weeks. The two groups were compared in terms of clinical outcome, cardiac function (left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF], cardiac index [CI], and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide [NT-proBNP]), quality of life (COPD assessment test [CAT] and Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire [MLHFQ]), and treatment safety. Results The observation group had a significantly higher overall response rate than the control group (95.45% vs 81.82%, P<0.05). Compared with the control group after treatment, the observation group had significantly higher levels of LVEF (50.66%±6.59% vs 45.43%±6.17%, P<0.05) and CI (3.19±0.65 L/(min·m²) vs 2.91±0.63 L/(min·m²), P<0.05) and a significantly lower level of NT-proBNP (566.67±97.94 ng/L vs 744.43±102.93 ng/L, P<0.05). The observation group had significantly lower CAT and MLHFQ scores than the control group (CAT: 11.65±2.71 vs 15.52±3.20, P<0.05; MLHFQ: 47.43±7.15 vs 54.56±8.21, P<0.05). No adverse event was observed in either group during treatment.Conclusion Qili Qiangxin capsules have a marked clinical effect in elderly patients with moderate or severe PHD caused by AECOPD and can effectively improve cardiac function and quality of life, with a favorable safety profile.

Key words: Moderate or severe pulmonary heart disease, Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Qili Qiangxin capsules, Clinical effect, Treatment safety, Cardiac function