The concept of TCM prescription is to combine several medicinal materials according to syndrome differentiation to form a "Fang" (compound). The accepted theory of Chinese medicine is "Jun Chen Zuo Shi". The "king" (emperor) treats the main cause or symptom of the disease; "Chen" (minister) strengthens the role of "Jun" or treats accompanying symptoms; The main function of "Zuo" (adjuvant) is to reduce or eliminate the potential toxic effects of Jun or Chen herbs, while "Shi" (messenger) delivers the said herbs to the target organs [13]. Many formulas have been widely used to treat heart failure, and pharmaceutical companies have produced several patented drugs (including pills, capsules, and injections). To explore the active ingredients of Chinese medicine and study the pharmacological action of Chinese medicine has always been an ongoing role in understanding the mechanism of action of Chinese medicine. Some previous studies have reviewed the effects or potential mechanisms of some Chinese medicines in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases [14-23]. In this review, we will summarize commonly used Chinese herbs, clinical evaluation of Chinese medicine, and progress in understanding the mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine products in the treatment of cardiovascular disease and HF.

Chinese herbs have different properties and therapeutic properties. According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, cold and cool belong to Yin, while heat and warm belong to Yang. Balancing the Yin and Yang of the body is essential to maintaining good health. Chinese herbs have been used for thousands of years to effectively treat heart failure. The commonly used drugs for treating different heart failure syndromes are: aconitum, white art, laurel twig, dried ginger, Radix pseudostellariae, Astragalus, Codonopsis, ginseng, Notoginseng, Angelica, safflower, Ligustrum, salviae miltiorrhiza, Radix Red Peony, peach kernel, hawthorn, sesame seed, alisma, poria; Ophiopogon, schisandra, raw rehmannia, pineapple, trichosanthis, orange peel, onion white, etc. [10].

As mentioned above, it is common practice to prescribe several herbs in different amounts together, called "compound" in Chinese, to improve the efficacy of each herb and reduce toxicity. Several of the most common prescription drugs have been clinically proven to be effective in treating heart failure [24-27]. The main indications are: Zhenwu decoction, Shengmai Powder, Baoyuan decoction, Xuefu Zhuyu decoction, Tinglida Tongxie lung decoction, Danshen drink, peach red Siwu decoction, etc. At the same time, some proprietary Chinese medicines have been successfully produced through standardized procedures and are widely used in the healthcare industry. Drugs in capsule or pill form include: Qishen Yiqi dropping pills, compound Danshen dropping pills, Danqi pills, Qiliqiangxin capsules, Shengmai capsules, etc. The injections produced include: Shenmai injection, Shengmai injection, Astragalus injection, Shenfu injection, Danhong injection and so on. Common formulations and their ingredients are listed in the table. Several drugs have been put into clinical trials. In the next section, we will review published clinical evaluations of TCM and the mechanisms by which TCM exerts its cardioprotective effects.