Effectiveness and Safety of Fufang Danshen Dripping Pill (Cardiotonic Pill) on Blood Viscosity and Hemorheological Factors for Cardiovascular Event Prevention in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Diabetes can cause various vascular complications. The Compounded Danshen-Dripping-Pill (CDDP) is widely used in China. This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness and safety of CDDP in the blood viscosity (BV) with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Materials and Methods: We conducted a systematic search of seven databases from their inception to July 2022 for randomized controlled trials that used CDDP to treat T2DM. To evaluate BV, we measured low shear rate (LSR), high shear rate (HSR), and plasma viscosity (PV). Homocysteine and adiponectin levels were also assessed as factors that could affect BV. Results: We included 18 studies and 1532 patients with T2DM. Meta-analysis revealed that CDDP significantly reduced LSR (mean difference [MD] −2.74, 95% confidence interval [CI] −3.77 to −1.72), HSR (MD −0.86, 95% CI −1.08 to −0.63), and PV (MD −0.37, 95% CI −0.54 to −0.19) compared to controls. CDDP also reduced homocysteine (MD −8.32, 95% CI −9.05 to −7.58), and increased plasma adiponectin (MD 2.72, 95% CI 2.13 to 3.32). Adverse events were reported less frequently in the treatment groups than in controls. Conclusions: CDDP is effective in reducing BV on T2DM. However, due to the poor design and quality of the included studies, high-quality, well-designed studies are required in the future.

Diabetes, Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease: Clinical Insights, Mechanisms and Pharmacotherapies

“…To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the Compounded Danshen Dripping Pill (CDDP) with regard to blood viscosity in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, Wi et al [12] systemically searched seven databases that used CDDP to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus. Although their meta-analysis shows that CDDP reduces blood viscosity in type 2 diabetes mellitus, further high-quality, well-designed studies are needed to provide more solid evidence for its future applications.…”