[Influence of levocarnitine on heart function and endocrine among patients with heart failure].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the efficacy of levocarnitine in treating elderly patients with chronic heart failure and to explore its impact on cardiac function and endocrine. METHODS: 120 elderly patients with chronic heart failure were randomly divided into observation and control groups, with 60 cases of each. Patients in the control group were given conventional anti-heart failure drugs, and those in the observation group were given 3 g levocarnitine within 250 ml normal saline for intravenous infusion added to what had been given to the control group. Efficacy of the two groups was observed after 15 days. RESULTS: The total effective rate in observation group was 95.0% , significantly higher than in the control group(83.3%), with statistically significant difference(χ(2) = 4.227, P < 0.05). After treatment, indicators as LVEDD, LVESD and LVESV in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group, with statistically significant differences(t = 2.256, 2.335, 2.277, P < 0.05). The LVEF values were significantly higher than in the control group after treatment, with statistically significant difference(t = 2.364, P < 0.05). Serum NT-pro-BNP, creatinine and cystatin C values in the observation group after treatment appeared significant reduction, when compared to the control group, and the difference was statistically significant(t = 2.339, 2.289, 2.315, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Levocarnitine could significantly improve the cardiac function, and reduce the levels of serum NT-pro-BNP, creatinine and cystatin C. Our results suggested that it was worthwhile to promote large-scale clinical trials of this kind.