Systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of sodium tanshinone IIA sulfonate injection on essential hypertension

Introduction Recent studies suggest that sodium tanshinone IIA sulfonate (STS) may offer therapeutic benefits in managing essential hypertension (EH). This study systematically evaluates the efficacy and safety of STS in EH treatment. Materials and methods A comprehensive search was conducted across seven databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Wanfang, China Biomedical Literature Service System, VIP Chinese Sci-tech Journal Database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure from their inception through February 4, 2025. Methodological quality was evaluated using Cochrane Handbook guidelines. Meta-analysis was performed using Stata 14.0. Results Twenty-two studies involving 2347 patients were included. Combining STS with conventional therapy significantly reduced systolic blood pressure (WMD: −8.37, 95% CI: −10.28 to −6.45), diastolic blood pressure (WMD: −5.68, 95% CI: −6.67 to −4.68), serum creatinine (WMD: −16.89, 95% CI: −21.37 to −12.41), total cholesterol (WMD: −2.45, 95% CI: −2.58 to −2.32), and endothelin-1 (WMD: −9.13, 95% CI: −13.64 to −4.63). Nitric oxide significantly increased (WMD: 8.98, 95% CI: 6.38 to 11.58). Conclusions The combination of STS with conventional therapy demonstrates significant improvements in blood pressure, vascular endothelial function, and renal function. STS may serve as an adjunctive treatment for EH.