Simvastatin decreases myocardial tumor necrosis factor α content in heart transplant recipients

Simvastatin treatment in heart transplant recipients decreased myocardium TNF-α expression. This decrease did not translate into a difference in the markers of hypertrophy. However, decreased myocardial TNF-α may be a marker of a general statin-mediated decrease in inflammation in the transplanted heart that leads to improved graft and patient survival.