Abstract
We report the case of a 70-year-old man with a history of myocardial infarction and coronary artery bypass grafting, presenting with signs and symptoms of heart failure. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a small amount of scarring in the anteroseptal wall, moderate left ventricular enlargement, and a left ventricular ejection fraction of 26%. Patient was started on simvastatin 20 mg daily, gradually increased to 80 mg daily, which were maintained for another 4 weeks. Twelve weeks after the initial presentation, the patient experienced a marked improvement in his symptoms. Repeat cardiac magnetic resonance imaging showed global improvement in left ventricular contractility, with ejection fraction of 36% and end-diastolic volume decreasing from 230 to 153 ml. We speculate that high-dose statin therapy had a significant role in improving the ventricular function in our patient by improving the endothelial flow. This hypothesis is presently being tested in a larger prospective trial.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 160-162 |
| Number of pages | 3 |
| Journal | Italian Heart Journal |
| Volume | 5 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| State | Published - Feb 2004 |
Keywords
- Coronary artery disease
- Heart failure
- Stunned myocardium
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
