CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE

TAURINE
(1 gram = 1000 milligrams)

1. Supplementation with taurine (3 grams/day for 6 weeks) improved systolic left ventricular function in patients with congestive heart failure compared to coenzyme Q10 (30 mg/day) which had no effect.

Jpn Circ J. 1992 Jan;56(1):95-9. 
Usefulness of taurine in chronic congestive heart failure and its prospective application.
Azuma J, Sawamura A, Awata N.

Animal Study

2. Supplementation with taurine (100 mg per kilogram body weight) reduced mortality rates, improved symptoms and improved the heart response to stress in animals with congestive heart failure.

Kardiologiia. 1991 Jun;31(6):77-80.  (Animal Study)
[Use of taurine in the treatment of experimental congestive heart failure]
[Article in Russian]

Animal Study

3. Supplementation with taurine (100 mg per kilogram body weight) reduced mortality rates, and decelerated progression of heart failure in rabbits with congestive heart failure compared to the untreated animals.

Am Heart J. 1986 Dec;112(6):1278-84.  (Animal Study)
Beneficial effect of taurine in rabbits with chronic congestive heart failure.
Takihara K, Azuma J, Awata N, Ohta H, Hamaguchi T, Sawamura A, Tanaka Y, Kishimoto S, Sperelakis N.

Animal Study

4. Supplementation with taurine (100 mg per kilogram body weight) following induced congestive heart failure, reduced death and improved cardiac function and life expectancy in rabbits compared to the untreated animals.

Res Commun Chem Pathol Pharmacol. 1984 Aug;45(2):261-70.  (Animal Study)
Beneficial effect of taurine on congestive heart failure induced by chronic aortic regurgitation in rabbits.
Azuma J, Takihara K, Awata N, Ohta H, Sawamura A, Harada H, Kishimoto S.

VITAMIN B1/THIAMINE

5. Compared to placebo, supplementation with intravenous thiamine (200 mg/day for 1 week) followed by oral thiamine (200 mg/day for 6 weeks) improved left ventricular function in patients with congestive heart failure.

Am J Med. 1995 May;98(5):485-90. 
Improved left ventricular function after thiamine supplementation in patients with congestive heart failure receiving long-term furosemide therapy.
Shimon I, Almog S, Vered Z, Seligmann H, Shefi M, Peleg E, Rosenthal T, Motro M, Halkin H, Ezra D.
PMID: 7733128

VITAMIN C
(1 gram = 1000 milligrams)

6. Compared to placebo, infusion with vitamin C (2.5 mg) improves baroreflex sensitivity and thus reduces the risk of sudden death from chronic heart failure.

Hypertension. 2003 Jun;41(6):1240-5. Epub 2003 May 12.
Influence of vitamin C on baroreflex sensitivity in chronic heart failure.
Piccirillo G, Nocco M, Moise A, Lionetti M, Naso C, di Carlo S, Marigliano V.

7. Compared to placebo, 1 intravenous injection of vitamin C (2 grams) improved baroreflex sensitivity in patients with chronic heart failure whereas daily vitamin C (4 grams/day) did not.

Clin Sci (Lond). 2003 May;104(5):529-35
Role of nitric oxide and oxidative stress in baroreceptor dysfunction in patients with chronic heart failure.
Nightingale AK, Blackman DJ, Field R, Glover NJ, Pegge N, Mumford C, Schmitt M, Ellis GR, Morris-Thurgood JA, Frenneaux MP.
PMID: 12549975 

8. Compared to placebo, intravenous vitamin C (2 grams) enhanced platelet responsiveness and improved endothelial function in patients with chronic heart failure.

J Cardiovasc Pharmacol. 2001 May;37(5):564-70
Acute effects of vitamin C on platelet responsiveness to nitric oxide donors and endothelial function in patients with chronic heart failure.
Ellis GR, Anderson RA, Chirkov YY, Morris-Thurgood J, Jackson SK, Lewis MJ, Horowitz JD, Frenneaux MP.

9. Doses of vitamin C (1 gram/day for 5 days) improved oxidative stress produced during myocardial infarction and reduced the microparticle levels, which could have implications to those with high risk of blood clotting.

J Thromb Haemost. 2003 Jan;1(1):171-7.
Protective effects of vitamin C on endothelium damage and platelet activation during myocardial infarction in patients with sustained generation of circulating microparticles.
Morel O, Jesel L, Hugel B, Douchet MP, Zupan M, Chauvin M, Freyssinet JM, Toti F.

10. Infusion with vitamin C (25 mg/minute) improved endothelial function in patients with coronary artery disease.

Am Heart J. 2003 Aug;146(2):280-5. 
Improvement of peripheral endothelial dysfunction by acute vitamin C application: different effects in patients with coronary artery disease, ischemic, and dilated cardiomyopathy.
Erbs S, Gielen S, Linke A, Mobius-Winkler S, Adams V, Baither Y, Schuler G, Hambrecht R.
PMID: 12891196

BERIBERI

VITAMIN B1/THIAMINE

11. An intravenous dose of thiamine (100 mg) improved the condition of shoshin beriberi which has heart failure as a symptom.

Medicina (B Aires). 2002;62(4):331-4.
Acute cardiovascular beriberi (shoshin-beriberi).
Lopez Gaston OD, Malvino ER, McLoughlin D, Osatnik J, Chavez Zambrano MA, Pino C.