Protocol for Chinese Herbal Medicines Decoction Treatment of Angina Pectoris: a Systematic Review With Bayesian Network Meta-analysis

Abstract Background Angina pectoris (AP) is the primary symptom of coronary heart disease. Evidence has shown Chinese herbal medicines can bring benefits to patients suffering from AP. There are many kinds of herbal medicines. However, the difference between them has not been systematically analysed. It is uncertain which one is better. For comparison and ranking, a systematic review and network meta-analysis is needed. Methods We will search for the following 6 electronic databases: China Biological Medicine DataBase(CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI), WanFang Database, PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library, from inception to May 2021. Randomized controlled trials, which aim to assess the efficacy and safety of 5 kinds of Chinese herbal medicine for AP will be included. The outcomes include reduction of AP, improvement of the electrocardiogram and adverse events. The study screening and data extraction will be presented by 2 researchers. The risk of bias will be assessed according to the Cochrane handbook. A Bayesian network meta-analysis will be performed to compare the efficacy of 5 Chinese herbal medicines. Surface under the cumulative rank curve value will be calculated to rank the efficacy of each herbal medicine.DiscussionOur protocol will be expected that the results of this study will provide evidence for Clinical Practice Guideline, clinical decisions, and development of proprietary Chinese medicines.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO registration number: CRD42019146185.