title: [Influence of levocarnitine on heart function and endocrine among patients with heart failure].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the efficacy of levocarnitine in treating elderly patients with chronic heart failure and to explore its impact on cardiac function and endocrine.
  
  
  METHODS
  120 elderly patients with chronic heart failure were randomly divided into observation and control groups, with 60 cases of each. Patients in the control group were given conventional anti-heart failure drugs, and those in the observation group were given 3 g levocarnitine within 250 ml normal saline for intravenous infusion added to what had been given to the control group. Efficacy of the two groups was observed after 15 days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The total effective rate in observation group was 95.0% , significantly higher than in the control group(83.3%), with statistically significant difference(χ(2) = 4.227, P < 0.05). After treatment, indicators as LVEDD, LVESD and LVESV in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group, with statistically significant differences(t = 2.256, 2.335, 2.277, P < 0.05). The LVEF values were significantly higher than in the control group after treatment, with statistically significant difference(t = 2.364, P < 0.05). Serum NT-pro-BNP, creatinine and cystatin C values in the observation group after treatment appeared significant reduction, when compared to the control group, and the difference was statistically significant(t = 2.339, 2.289, 2.315, P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Levocarnitine could significantly improve the cardiac function, and reduce the levels of serum NT-pro-BNP, creatinine and cystatin C. Our results suggested that it was worthwhile to promote large-scale clinical trials of this kind.
authors.affiliation: Elderly Comprehensive Demonstration Unit of Zhejiang Hospital, Hangzhou 310013, China. Email: zjchenglei@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Xiao-fang
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002331:Carnitine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006334:Heart Function Tests; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D002331:Carnitine