[Effect of simvastatin on cardiac fibrosis in patients with essential hypertension].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of simvastatin on myocardiac fibrosis in patients with essential hypertension (EH).

METHODS: Sixty EH patients were randomly assigned into 2 groups: Benazepril (10 mg/d) group (n = 28) and simvastatin (20 mg/d) + benazepril (10 mg/d) group. Procollagen type III aminoterminal peptide (PIIIP), and procollagen type IV aminoterminal peptide (PIVP) levels in serum as well as transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFbeta1) level in plasma were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA) before and 6 months after the treatment. Doppler ultrasound recordings were obtained from all patients before and 6 months after the treatment to determine several parameters related to the left ventricular anatomy and function.

RESULTS: After 6 month of treatment, the mean blood pressure (MBP), PIIIP, PIVP, TGFbeta1, left ventricular mass index (LVMI), interventricular spectum dimension (IVSD), and left ventricular posterio wall dimension (LPWD) in the 2 groups were significantly lower than those before the treatment. TGFbeta1 decreased in the simvastatin and benazepril group compared with the benazepril group (P < 0.01). The ratio of early diastolic blood flow velocity of mitral valve (VE) and blood flow velocity of atrium systolic period (VA) in the 2 groups significantly increased after 6 months of treatment, and the ratio in the simvastatin and benazepril group was significantly higher than that in the enazepril group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: Angiotension converting enzyme inhibitor combined with simvastatin is helpful to reduce the myocardial fibrosis and to improve the left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic function in EH patients.