The effects of atorvastatin on chronic heart failure

Objective To investigate the preventative effects of atorvastatin on chronic heart failure. Methods One hundred thirty-two patients male 76,female 56,average age(63±11.5)with chronic heart failure from January, 2007 to December, 2008 (New York Heart Association class Ⅱ-Ⅳ) in Union Hospital of Huazhong University of Science and Technology were randomly divided into two groups: 62 of routine therapy group (control group) and 70 of atorvastatin therapy group (treatment group). The treatment group were given atorvastatin 20 mg per day during the first month, then 10 mg/d. Such measurements as ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular internal diameter end-diastolic (LVIDd), left ventricular end systolic diameter(LVSD) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), interleukin (IL-6), high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) values and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) were recorded before the treatment, after a month, 6, 12 and 24 months. The mortality or re-hospitalization were also observed. Results Compared with the control group, after 24-month-treatment, LVEF [(48.3±7.2)% vs(44.7±7.0)%, P0.05] increased, LVIDd [(49.8±8.5) vs(55.3±8.8)mm, P0.01)], LVSD [(46.6±6.0) vs(50.5±6.3)mm,P0.01)] of atorvastatin treatment group improved; TNF-α[(83.83±10.50)vs (151.82±21.55)μg/L, P0.01], IL-6 [(9.50±2.31) vs (25.52±6.60)μg/L,P0.01], hsCRP [(1.68±1.20) vs(7.92±3.96)mg/L, P0.01] and BNP [(93.33±54.13) vs(585.70±86.67)μg/L,P0.01] decreased; the motality of this disease (4.11% vs 11.43%, P0.05) or re-hospitalization [(2.24±0.65)vs(3.58±0.88)time/year, P0.01] also decreased. Conclusion Atorvastatin can significantly improve cardiac function, reduce the activation transition of myocardial cell inflammation factor, reverse ventricular remodeling and decrease the mortality or re-hospitalization.