title: Long-term clinical outcomes of statin use for chronic heart failure: a meta-analysis of 15 prospective studies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The effect of statin treatment on the long-term prognosis in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) remains uncertain. This study aimed to answer the question by a meta-analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Cochrane databases, MEDLINE and EMBASE, were systematically searched. The eligibility of prospective studies that assigned CHF patients to receive statin treatment and a control (no statin treatment), had defined prognostic outcomes as primary endpoint, and had a minimal follow-up of 12 months was determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifteen studies involving 45,110 patients were included in the analysis. Additional statin treatment was associated with reduced all-cause mortality (risk ratios [RR] = 0.71, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 0.61-0.83) and reduced rehospitalisation rate for heart failure (RR = 0.84, 95% CI 0.74-0.96). Statin treatment, however, had little impact on pump failure mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and sudden cardiac death. Atorvastatin treatment appeared to facilitate to reduce all-cause mortality (lnRR = 0.61, p = 0.05) and rehospitalisation for heart failure (lnRR = 0.44, p = 0.04) compared with non-atorvastatin therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the available data, statins persistently decreased all-cause mortality and the incidence of rehospitalisation for heart failure in CHF patients, and the benefits might be partially associated with use of specific statin.
authors: Department of Critical Care Medicine, Jintan Hospital, Jiangsu University, Jiangsu, PR China. Electronic address: wwjq198@sina.com.
authors: Jian-Qiang
authors: JQ
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Critical Care Medicine, Jintan Hospital, Jiangsu University, Jiangsu, PR China.
authors: Guo-Rong
authors: GR
authors: Wu
authors: Department of Critical Care Medicine, Jintan Hospital, Jiangsu University, Jiangsu, PR China.
authors: Zheng
authors: Z
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Critical Care Medicine, Jintan Hospital, Jiangsu University, Jiangsu, PR China.
authors: Xiao-Ping
authors: XP
authors: Dai
authors: Department of Critical Care Medicine, Jintan Hospital, Jiangsu University, Jiangsu, PR China.
authors: Xiang-Rong
authors: XR
authors: Li
mesh_terms: D000069059:Atorvastatin; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality*; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016239:MEDLINE; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D011758:Pyrroles; D000069059:Atorvastatin
keywords: Chronic heart failure; Long-term; Meta-analysis; Statin