Cardiovasc Ther. 2014 Apr 23. doi: 10.1111/1755-5922.12076.
Pentoxifylline in heart failure: a meta-analysis of clinical trials.
Champion S, Lapidus N, Cherié G, Spagnoli V, Oliary J, Solal AC.
BACKGROUND: Pentoxifylline possess anti-inflammatory and rheological properties and has been tested in heart failure (HF).
METHODS: A comprehensive search was performed from 1980 until July 2013 in PubMed, to identify randomized controlled trials evaluating pentoxifylline versus placebo in HF, in order to determine impact on mortality. Search strategy: "Pentoxifylline" AND "heart" AND "trial". Study selection of 6 randomized controlled trials evaluating mortality as outcome. Then we conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials versus placebo in HF. Determination of Mantel-Haenszel fixed effect and random effect pooled odds ratios for all-cause mortality and corresponding 95% confidence intervals.
RESULTS: Data from a total of 221 patients with LVEF≤40% from six randomized controlled trials were included in this analysis. Pentoxifylline 1200 mg per day was administered during 6 months, except in one study (administered during 1 month for severe acute HF). The use of pentoxifylline was not significantly associated with a reduction of mortality in HF in individual studies. The pooled data including 221 patients showed a nearly fourfold reduction in mortality (5.4% vs 18.3%; OR 0.29; CI 0.12-0.74; p<0.01) with homogenous results (I² 0%).
CONCLUSION: A meta-analysis evaluating pentoxifylline versus placebo in HF suggested a significant nearly fourfold decrease in all-cause mortality in the pentoxifylline group.
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