Effect and Safety of Fermented Cordyceps Powder on Cardiac and Renal Function in Patients with Acute Decompensated Heart Failure

This study aims to investigate the effect and safety of fermented Cordyceps powder on cardiac and renal function in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). A total of 118 patients with ADHF were randomly assigned to treatment group (TG) and control group (CG) (59 in each). Patients in the CG were given only routine Western medicine for ADHF, while the TG were given fermented Cordyceps powder (Bailing Capsules) based on routine Western medicine. Both groups were treated for 30 days. The primary endpoint was the incidence of type 1 cardiorenal syndrome (CRS-1) during hospitalization. The secondary endpoints were the changes of NT-proBNP, creatinine (sCr), estimated glomerular rate filtration (eGFR), cystatin C (CysC), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD), 6-min walking test distance (6MWTD), and SF-36 score before and after 30 days of treatment. Meanwhile, adverse reactions were observed. The incidence of CRS-1 in the TG was 5.3% (3 cases), significantly lower than that in the CG [11.9% (7 cases)], the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). After 30 days of treatment, serum creatinine (sCr) in the TG decreased from 101.4 ± 53.1 mmol/L to 71.5 ± 12.7 mmol/L (P < 0.001). In the CG, sCr decreased from 102.8 ± 52.3 mmol/L to 86.4 ± 15.6 mmol/L (P < 0.001), and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Similarly, cysteine C (CysC) decreased from 1.59 ± 0.81 mg/L to 1.01 ± 0.36 mg/L in the TG (P = 0.011), and from 1.62 ± 0.74 mg/L to 1.23 ± 0.55 mg/L in the CG (P < 0.05), with statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in the TG increased from 77.8 ± 19.4 mL/min/1.73 m2 to 89.8 ± 7.7 mL/min/1.73 m2 (P = 0.002). The CG increased from 78.3 ± 21.7 mL/min/1.73 m2 to 85.1 ± 8.6 mL/min/1.73 m2 (P < 0.05), and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). In addition, NT-proBNP decreased from 3418.3 ± 1025.4 pg/mL to 1107.9 ± 634.3 pg/mL (P < 0.001). The CG decreased from 3488.6 ± 1013.2 pg/mL to 1632.5 ± 743.7 pg/mL (P < 0.001), and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Finally, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was increased to 50.9 ± 6.1% (P = 0.018) in the TG and 48.5 ± 4.7% (P = 0.018) in the CG, the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The combination of fermented Cordyceps powder (Bailing Capsules) and conventional Western medicine has been shown to be more efficacious than the use of Western medicine alone in the treatment of ADHF. This combination has been found to reduce the incidence of CRS-1, enhance cardiac and renal function, and improve the quality of life for patients.