Statins worsen heart function in 71% of patients

This study was published in the American Journal of Cardiology 2004 Nov 15;94(10):1306-10

 

Study title and authors:

Effect of atorvastatin on left ventricular diastolic function and ability of coenzyme Q10 to reverse that dysfunction.

Silver MA, Langsjoen PH, Szabo S, Patil H, Zelinger A.

Heart Failure Institute, Department of Medicine, Advocate Christ Medical Center, University of Illinois/Christ Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program, Oak Lawn, Illinois 60453, USA. marc.silver@advocatehealth.com

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15541254

This study evaluated left ventricular diastolic function before and after statin therapy. The study included 14 patients (who met the National cholesterol Education Program's recommendations for initiating pharmacologic therapy), aged 51 - 79 years, who completed three to six months on atorvastatin.

The study found that 71% of the patients had worsening of left ventricular diastolic function after taking statins.

Dr Silver concluded: "For more than a decade, there has been a suggestion of impairment of diastolic function after the administration of statins, and our findings suggest that this may be a common event and potentially a precursor to symptoms associated with ventricular dysfunction".