title: Statin therapy in patients with diastolic heart failure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is controversy regarding the potential effects of statin therapy on mortality in patients with heart failure. The present study analyzed the possible effects of statin therapy on morbidity and mortality in patients with diastolic heart failure over long-term follow-up.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate potential effect of statin therapy on hospitalization rate and mortality in patients with diastolic heart failure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (> or =50%), hospitalized for clinical symptoms of heart failure were evaluated. Patients on statin therapy started at or prior to their first heart failure admission represented group 1 and patients without statin therapy represented group 2. The effects of statins on hospitalization rates and mortality were assessed during a 5 year follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 270 patients (group 1 n = 81; group 2 n = 189) were followed over 5 years. Patients on statins demonstrated improved survival compared to patients without statin therapy (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.65, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.45-0.95, P = .029). The survival benefit was maintained after adjusting for differences in baseline characteristics, comorbidities, and other medications. There was no significant difference in the mean cardiovascular hospitalization rate (3.0 +/- 3.2 vs 3.8 +/- 4.7, P = .23) and in overall hospitalization rate (7.1 +/- 6.3 vs 7.8 +/- 7.7, P = .52) between groups 1 and 2, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Statin therapy appears to be associated with improved survival in patients with diastolic heart failure.
authors.affiliation: Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California 90048, USA.
authors.forename: Faramarz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tehrani
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Morrissey
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Phan
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chien
authors.forename: Ernst R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Schwarz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D054144:Heart Failure, Diastolic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors