The effect of rosuvastatin on inflammation, matrix turnover and left ventricular remodeling in dilated cardiomyopathy: a randomized, controlled trial

Comparative Efficacy of Different Drugs for the Treatment of Dilated Cardiomyopathy: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

At present, the therapies of dilated cardiomyopathy concentrated on the symptoms of heart failure and related complications. The study is to evaluate the clinical efficacy of a combination of various conventional and adjuvant drugs in treating dilated cardiomyopathy via network meta-analysis.

METHODS

The study was reported according to the PRISMA 2020 statement. From inception through 27 June 2022, the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane library, and Web of Science databases were searched for randomized controlled trials on medicines for treating dilated cardiomyopathy. The quality of the included studies was evaluated according to the Cochrane risk of bias assessment. R4.1.3 and Revman5.3 software were used for analysis.

RESULTS

There were 52 randomized controlled trials in this study, with a total of 25 medications and a sample size of 3048 cases. The network meta-analysis found that carvedilol, verapamil, and trimetazidine were the top three medicines for improving left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Ivabradine, bucindolol, and verapamil were the top 3 drugs for improving left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD). Ivabradine, L-thyroxine, and atorvastatin were the top 3 drugs for improving left ventricular end-systolic dimension (LVESD). Trimetazidine, pentoxifylline, and bucindolol were the top 3 drugs for improving the New York Heart Association classification (NYHA) cardiac function score. Ivabradine, carvedilol, and bucindolol were the top 3 drugs for reducing heart rate (HR).

CONCLUSION

A combination of different medications and conventional therapy may increase the clinical effectiveness of treating dilated cardiomyopathy. Beta-blockers, especially carvedilol, can improve ventricular remodeling, cardiac function, and clinical efficacy in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Hence, they can be used if patients tolerate them. If LVEF and HR do not meet the standard, ivabradine can also be used in combination with other treatments. However, since the quality and number of studies in our research were limited, large sample size, multi-center, and high-quality randomized controlled trials are required to corroborate our findings.

Key Enzymes for the Mevalonate Pathway in the Cardiovascular System

ABSTRACT

Isoprenylation is an important post-transcriptional modification of small GTPases required for their activation and function. Isoprenoids, including farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) and geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate, are indispensable for isoprenylation by serving as donors of a prenyl moiety to small G proteins. In the human body, isoprenoids are mainly generated by the mevalonate pathway (also known as the cholesterol-synthesis pathway). The hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase catalyzes the first rate-limiting steps of the mevalonate pathway, and its inhibitor (statins) are widely used as lipid-lowering agents. In addition, the FPP synthase is also of critical importance for the regulation of the isoprenoids production, for which the inhibitor is mainly used in the treatment of osteoporosis. Synthetic FPP can be further used to generate geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate and cholesterol. Recent studies suggest a role for isoprenoids in the genesis and development of cardiovascular disorders, such as pathological cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, endothelial dysfunction, and fibrotic responses of smooth-muscle cells. Furthermore, statins and FPP synthase inhibitors have also been applied for the management of heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases rather than their clinical use for hyperlipidemia or bone diseases. In this review, we focus on the function of several critical enzymes, including hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, FPP synthase, farnesyltransferase, and geranylgeranyltransferase in the mevalonate pathway which are involved in regulating the generation of isoprenoids and isoprenylation of small GTPases, and their pathophysiological role in the cardiovascular system. Moreover, we summarize recent research into applications of statins and the FPP synthase inhibitors to treat cardiovascular diseases, rather than for their traditional indications respectively.

Impact of lipophilic vs hydrophilic statins on the clinical outcome and biomarkers of remodelling in heart failure patients: A prospective comparative randomized study

AIMS

There are insufficient direct comparative studies addressing the impact of the type of statin on their respective efficacy in heart failure (HF). The aim of the current study was to compare the effects of lipophilic (atorvastatin) vs hydrophilic (rosuvastatin) on left ventricular function, inflammatory and fibrosis biomarkers in patients with chronic HF.

METHODS

This was a prospective, randomized, comparative, parallel study. A total of 85 patients with chronic HF optimized on guideline directed therapy were randomized to receive either atorvastatin 40 mg (n = 42) or rosuvastatin 20 mg (n = 43) for 6 months. Baseline and follow-up assessment included 2D echocardiography, measurement of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, interleukin-6 and soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) levels, liver enzymes and lipid profile.

RESULTS

The increase in left ventricular ejection fraction was significantly higher in the atorvastatin group compared to the rosuvastatin group (6.5% [3-11] vs 4% [2-5], P = .006). The reduction in left ventricular end diastolic and end systolic volume was comparable between the 2 groups. The decrease in sST2 levels in pg/mL was significantly higher in the atorvastatin compared to the rosuvastatin group (-255 [-383 to -109.8 vs - 151 [-216 to -69], P = .003). There was a significant reduction in N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide and interleukin-6 levels in both groups, yet the reduction was comparable in both groups.

CONCLUSION

The study results suggest that lipophilic atorvastatin is superior to hydrophilic rosuvastatin in increasing left ventricular ejection fraction and reducing fibrosis marker sST2 in HF patients. Trial registration ID: NCT03255044, registered on 21 August 2017.

New statin use and left ventricular structure: Estimating long-term associations in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

PURPOSE

Only small and short-term studies have evaluated statins in relation to changes in heart structure. We estimated the association between new statin use and 10-year remodeling of the left ventricle.

METHODS

The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis collected data on statin use over approximately 10 years, conducting cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging at baseline and the 10-year exam. Participants were free of baseline cardiovascular disease, and we excluded users of statins at baseline. Statin initiation was defined as a report of current use at any of the 4 subsequent exams. Primary outcomes were the change in left ventricular mass index (LVMI; % predicted by height, weight, and sex) and mass-to-volume ratio. Associations were estimated in a propensity score-matched analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 3113 participants (53% female; 40% European-American, 25% African-American, 22% Hispanic-American, and 13% Chinese-American) were eligible; 2431 returned for follow-up CMR imaging after a median of 9.4 years. Statin therapy (moderate dose, 76%) was started by 36% of participants (N = 872). We excluded 42 participants with incident myocardial infarction. Compared with nonuse, statin use was associated with less 10-year progression in LVMI (-2.35 percentage points; 95% CI, -4.24 to -0.47; P = .01) and mass-to-volume ratio (-0.03 absolute difference; 95% CI, -0.07 to -0.00; P = .02); effects were small in magnitude. A dose response was observed: Higher statin dose was associated with less LVMI progression.

CONCLUSIONS

In contrast to previous small studies, we found very modest associations between statin use and indices of left ventricular remodeling over 10 years in this prospective study of a diverse cohort.

Insights from Second-Line Treatments for Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Background: Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is an independent nosographic entity characterized by left ventricular dilatation and contractile dysfunction leading to heart failure (HF). The idiopathic form of DCM (iDCM) occurs in the absence of coronaropathy or other known causes of DCM. Despite being different from other forms of HF for demographic, clinical, and prognostic features, its current pharmacological treatment does not significantly diverge. Methods: In this study we performed a Pubmed library search for placebo-controlled clinical investigations and a post-hoc analysis recruiting iDCM from 1985 to 2016. We searched for second-line pharmacologic treatments to reconsider drugs for iDCM management and pinpoint pathological mechanisms. Results: We found 33 clinical studies recruiting a total of 3392 patients of various durations and sizes, as well as studies that tested different drug classes (statins, pentoxifylline, inotropes). A metanalysis was unfeasible, although a statistical significance for changes upon treatment for molecular results, morphofunctional parameters, and clinical endpoints was reported. Statins appeared to be beneficial in light of their pleiotropic effects; inotropes might be tolerated more for longer times in iDCM compared to ischemic patients. General anti-inflammatory therapies do not significantly improve outcomes. Metabolic and growth modulation remain appealing fields to be investigated. Conclusions: The evaluation of drug effectiveness based on direct clinical benefit is an inductive method providing evidence-based insights. This backward approach sheds light on putative and underestimated pathologic mechanisms and thus therapeutic targets for iDCM management.

Diabetic retinopathy is associated with diastolic dysfunction in type 2 diabetic patients with non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy

BACKGROUND

To investigate the association between diabetic retinopathy (DR) and myocardial dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes and dilated cardiomyopathy (dCMP).

METHODS

Data were collected retrospectively from 89 patients with dCMP (46 with type 2 diabetes and 43 without diabetes) and no evidence of coronary artery disease. Echocardiographic parameters and laboratory data, including lipid profiles and fundus findings, were obtained from medical records. A left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) less than 40% was considered impaired systolic function, while an E/E' ratio greater than 15 was considered elevated left ventricular (LV) filling pressure.

RESULTS

Baseline characteristics show that LVEF was not significantly different between patients with and without diabetes or between diabetic patients with and without DR. Among the diastolic function parameters, patients with DR exhibited higher E/E' ratios (left ventricular filling pressures) than patients without DR (23.75 ± 13.37 vs 11.71 ± 3.50, P = 0.022). Logistic regression analysis revealed that statin use lowered the risk of impaired systolic dysfunction in all patients (odds ratio (OR) 0.33, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.12-0.92, P = 0.034) and in patients with diabetes (OR 0.273, 95% CI 0.08-0.99, P = 0.049), while the presence of DR was associated with a higher risk of elevated LV filling filling pressure in patients with diabetes (OR 18.00, 95% CI 1.50-216.62, P = 0.023).

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, DR was associated with elevated LV filling pressure in patients with dCMP. DR may not only represent microvascular long-term complications in patients with diabetes but may also be associated with more advanced form of diastolic dysfunction among diabetic patients with cardiomyopathy.

Impact of Statin Therapy on Plasma MMP-3, MMP-9, and TIMP-1 Concentrations: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trials

Tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are associated with the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Statin therapy has been shown to modulate MMPs and TIMP-1 levels, but clinical findings have not been conclusive. This study aimed to systematically review the clinical findings on the impact of statin therapy on plasma MMP-9, MMP-3, and TIMP-1 levels and calculate an effect size for the mentioned effect through a meta-analysis of available data. A total of 10 eligible studies with 11 treatment arms were included in the meta-analysis. Statin therapy had no significant effect on plasma MMP-9 (standardized mean difference [SMD]: −0.23, 95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.69 to 0.24, P = .345) nor MMP-3 concentrations (SMD: −0.004, 95% CI: −0.60 to 0.59, P = .990). However, meta-analysis demonstrated that statin therapy significantly decreases plasma TIMP-1 levels (SMD: −0.30, 95% CI: −0.56 to −0.03, P = .029). Random-effects meta-regression indicated that neither treatment duration nor changes in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels are associated with changes in plasma MMP-9 levels following statin therapy. The results of the present meta-analysis suggested a significant reduction in plasma concentrations of TIMP-1, but not MMP-9 and MMP-3, following statin therapy.