The increased survival occurred even though most patients who received the statins were sicker than those who did not receive them, according to the report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

As many as 5 million Americans suffer from heart failure, which is characterized by the heart's reduced ability to pump blood around the body, with half a million more diagnosed each year. It can be caused by high blood pressure, valve disease, clogged arteries and other cardiovascular problems.

Only about a third of those patients receive statins, which suggests great potential for saving lives through wider use of the drugs.

"We're very excited about the possibilities," said Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow of UCLA, who led the

Among the patients with ischemic heart failure, 73% were receiving statins, compared with 22% of those with nonischemic disease.

The team studied the records of 551 patients who received treatment for heart failure at the Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center. About 45% of the patients suffered from ischemic heart failure caused by a heart attack, while the rest suffered from nonischemic heart failure, caused by high blood pressure and other problems.

In addition to their cholesterol-lowering properties, the drugs have been shown to reduce inflammation, which plays a role in heart failure; protect against dilation of the heart's ventricles, which reduces pumping ability; and decrease over-activity of the sympathetic nervous system, which produces too much heart-damaging adrenaline.

"Our results were dramatic," Fonarow said. "We were surprised by the magnitude of the additional b

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