It has been discovered that the combination of resveratrol, dichloroacetate and niacin has a synergistic effect when used to treat hemorrhagic injury. One embodiment provides a pharmaceutical composition containing an effective amount of resveratrol, dichloroacetate and niacin to improve cardiac function following severe hemorrhage versus a control that did not received the combination treatment. Resveratrol, dichloroacetate and niacin can each independently be present in the pharmaceutical composition in an amount from 2 mg/kg body weight to 10 mg/kg body weight. In one embodiment, resveratrol, dichloroacetate and niacin are each present in an amount of 2 mg/kg body weight. The pharmaceutical formulation can be formulated as one unit dose containing all three compounds. In other embodiments, each compound is formulated as a separate pharmaceutical composition that can be administered to a subject in need thereof simultaneously, in alternation, or in combination.
