title: Statins and symptomatic chronic systolic heart failure: a post-hoc analysis of 5010 patients enrolled in Val-HeFT.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Statins prolong survival in patients at high risk for cardiovascular events, however little is known regarding their efficacy and safety in patients with established chronic heart failure (CHF). To address this, we retrospectively analyzed the Valsartan Heart Failure Trial (Val-HeFT) database to determine outcomes in CHF patients according to statin use at baseline.
  
  
  METHODS
  Demographic characteristics of patients receiving statins at baseline (n=1602) were compared with those who were not (n=3048). A multivariate Cox proportional hazards model, with death as outcome, was used to assess the impact of statin therapy, with adjustment made for baseline differences in relevant parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients receiving statins at baseline were younger with fewer females, fewer in NYHA III-IV, more with an ischemic etiology, more diabetics, higher BMI, lower SBP, more on beta-blockers, but no difference in LVEF or ACEi use. Mortality over a mean 2-year follow-up was 17.9% on statins versus 20.3% without statins (p=0.029). Cox-adjusted hazard ratio for statins was 0.81 [95% CI 0.70-0.94]. No statistically significant interaction was found between statins and valsartan for mortality. After 4 months, the only laboratory changes were a reduction in CRP and an attenuation of the rise in norepinephrine in the statin group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In a large, contemporary sample of patients with CHF, statin use appeared to be associated with a lower 2-year mortality. These findings suggest a prognostic benefit for statins in established CHF, however prospective data are required to definitively address this issue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We examined major cardiovascular outcomes in patients who were (n=1602) and were not (n=3048) receiving statins at baseline in the Val-HeFT cohort of patients with mild to moderate systolic chronic heart failure. Mortality was reduced in patients receiving statins compared to those who were not, without any significant interaction effect between statin treatment and valsartan. These findings suggest a prognostic benefit for statins in established heart failure, however prospective data are required to definitively address this issue.
authors.affiliation: NHMRC Centre of Clinical Research Excellence in Therapeutics, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. henry.krum@med.monash.edu.au
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Krum
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Latini
authors.forename: Aldo P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Maggioni
authors.forename: Inder
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Anand
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Masson
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carretta
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ingrillì
authors.forename: Giacinto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pettinati
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Glazer
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tognoni
authors.forename: Jay
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cohn
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013777:Tetrazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014633:Valine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D000068756:Valsartan
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D013777:Tetrazoles; D000068756:Valsartan; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D002784:Cholesterol; D003404:Creatinine; D014633:Valine