European journal of heart failure
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Eur. J. Heart Fail. · Aug 2005
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyThe Ca2+-sensitizer levosimendan improves oxidative damage, BNP and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in patients with advanced decompensated heart failure in comparison to dobutamine.
To investigate the effect of a new inotropic drug, levosimendan compared with dobutamine on levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in patients with severe decompensated heart failure. ⋯ Treatment with levosimendan in advanced decompensated heart failure exerts a beneficial hemodynamic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect. These findings may give an insight into the favourable impact on mortality that levosimendan appears to have in published multicenter trials.