title: Effects of statin treatment on cardiac function in patients with chronic heart failure: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Whether additional benefit can be achieved with the use of statin treatment in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) remains undetermined.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Statin treatment may be effective in improving cardiac function and ameliorating ventricular remodeling in CHF patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and EBM Reviews databases were searched for randomized controlled trials comparing statin treatment with nonstatin treatment in patients with CHF. Two reviews independently assessed studies and extracted data. Weighted mean differences (WMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using random effects models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eleven trials with 590 patients were included. Pooled analysis showed that statin treatment was associated with a significant increase in left ventricular ejection fraction (WMD: 3.35%, 95% CI: 0.80 to 5.91%, P = 0.01). The beneficial effects of statin treatment were also demonstrated by the reduction of left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (WMD: -3.77 mm, 95% CI: -6.24 to -1.31 mm, P = 0.003), left ventricular end-systolic diameter (WMD: -3.57 mm, 95% CI: -6.37 to -0.76 mm, P = 0.01), B-type natriuretic peptide (WMD: -83.17 pg/mL, 95% CI: -121.29 to -45.05 pg/mL, P < 0.0001), and New York Heart Association functional class (WMD: -0.30, 95% CI: -0.37 to -0.23, P < 0.00001). Meta-regression showed a statistically significant association between left ventricular ejection fraction improvement and follow-up duration (P = 0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current cumulative evidence suggests that use of statin treatment in CHF patients may result in the improvement of cardiac function and clinical symptoms, as well as the amelioration of left ventricular remodeling.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhongshan Hospital and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shuning
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Aijun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Yunzeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Junbo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ge
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D016207:Cytokines; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000187:drug effects; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000187:drug effects; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D002784:Cholesterol