title: Usefulness of atorvastatin in patients with heart failure due to inflammatory dilated cardiomyopathy and elevated cholesterol levels.
abstract: This study evaluated the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of statin therapy in patients with heart failure secondary to inflammatory dilated cardiomyopathy and moderately elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Seventy-four patients were randomized to receive atorvastatin 40 mg/day or conventional treatment for heart failure. After 6 months of therapy, the predefined primary efficacy end point (an increase of >5% in the absolute left ventricular ejection fraction and > or =2 selected criteria by echocardiography and a decrease in New York Heart Association functional class) was significant in the statin-treated patients (p = 0.004). Among secondary efficacy parameters, the quality-of-life index showed a trend suggesting the benefit of statin therapy (p = 0.055). In conclusion, the results of this study demonstrate that treatment with atorvastatin in addition to standard therapy for heart failure may significantly improve clinical outcomes in this cohort of patients.
authors.affiliation: 3rd Department of Cardiology, Silesian Center for Heart Disease, Zabrze, Poland. wojnicz@dom.zab
authors.forename: Romuald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wojnicz
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wilczek
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nowalany-Kozielska
authors.forename: Bozena
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Szyguła-Jurkiewicz
authors.forename: Jolanta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nowak
authors.forename: Lech
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Poloński
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dyrbuś
authors.forename: Arkadiusz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Badziński
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mercik
authors.forename: Marian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zembala
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wodniecki
authors.forename: Marius M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Rozek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood* / Q000187:drug effects; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D023381:Endpoint Determination; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D011758:Pyrroles; D000069059:Atorvastatin