Simvastatin Improves Mortality of Heart Failure Patients

A recent study showed that 40 mg per day of simvastatin significantly improved mortality in heart failure patients over a 1-year follow-up period, compared with not taking the drug at all. Patients taking the statin also were less likely to develop blockage of their arteries. Moreover, simvastatin users were less likely to require a second angioplasty and experienced a survival rate of 80%, compared with 57% among patients not taking the drug. According to Myung Ho Jeong, MD, of Chonnam National University Hospital in Korea, this study indicates that "patients suffering from heart attacks and consequent heart pump failure can be improved after routine statin therapy." He further concluded that simvastatin can be a good treatment in addition to aspirin to effectively aid heart failure patients who have undergone angioplasty for a heart attack.

Ms. Farley is a freelance medical writer based in Wakefield, RI.