ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe simvastatin treatment of pulmonary hypertension in patients with coal workers pneumoconiosis (CWP).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>96 CWP patients with pulmonary hypertension were randomly divided into treatment and control groups. The control group was treated with 2.5 mg warfarin, once a day for four months; the treatment group was treated with 20 mg simvastatin, taken in evening, for 4 months. 6 min walking distance (6MWD) test and inspection pulmonary artery pressure were measured by echocardiography before and after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the treatment group, the 6MWD were (258 ± 26) m after treatment and (225 ± 19) m before treatment, respectively. Compared with control group, pulmonary artery pressure was (41 ± 9) mm Hg in the treatment group before treatment, (36 ± 3) mm Hg in the treatment group after treatment, and (39 ± 5) mm Hg in control group, respectively, the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Simvastatin can improve pulmonary hypertension in coal workers pneumoconiosis, and shows a definite curative effect.</p>