Long-term effects of pentoxifylline in heart failure therapy

The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of pentoxifylline on left ventricular ejection fractions (ef) and volumes, new york heart association (nyha) functional class, left ventricular diastolic parameters and hospitalization for heart failure in patients with ischemic or non-ischemic cardiomyopathy. a total of 60 patients were randomised to either peroral 1200 mg/day pentoxifylline or control group. all patients were on optimal heart failure therapy and their ef was <40% by transthoracic echocardiography. the patients were followed up for 12 months. twenty-one patients (70%) in pentoxifylline group and 20 (66.7%) in control group completed the study. baseline and 12 months’ end-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume, ef and nyha class were as follows in pentoxifylline group; 160.5±51.3 ml vs 156.6±43.1 ml, 109.1±40 ml vs 106.1±33.4 ml, 32.4±5.7% vs 33.2±5.2%, 2.4±0.5 vs 2.2±0.5, p=0.5411, 0.5257, 0.4099 and 0.1037; respectively. there were also no difference in baseline and follow-up diastolic parameters. mean hospitalization numbers for heart failure were similar between groups (1.26±0.71 vs 1.60±1.04, p=0.1717). contrary to previous reports, no beneficial effect of pentoxifylline was observed on clinical or echocardiographic parameters.