Feasibility and Effectiveness of Micronutrients as Palliative Care Therapy in Patients With Congestive Heart Failure

Phoenix VA Health Care System40 enrolled

Overview

The purpose of this project is to conduct a preliminary test of the feasibility of a multi-micronutrient intervention to improve micronutrient status, cardiac function and quality of life in Veterans with Congestive Heart Failure (CHF).

Veterans with stable CHF resulting from ischemic cardiomyopathy with systolic dysfunction and an ejection fraction ≤45% and who fit the criteria of stage B, C and D 2 heart failure will be recruited. This is a one group study with Veterans serving as their own control. They will receive 50 mg thiamin, vitamin B50 and 220 mg Zn as Zn sulfate daily for 6 months. Additionally, they will receive 50,000 IU Vitamin D as ergocalciferol each week for 8 weeks then every other week for 16 weeks. Pre (baseline) and post (6 months) cardiac function will be tested with echocardiogram and cardiac MR (when applicable), biochemical measures of thiamine, pyridoxine, zinc and Vitamin D will be measured at baseline, 3 months, 6 months and one year. Quality of life will be measured using the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure questionnaire baseline, month 3,6,and one year. Nutritional assessment including a nutrition focused physical examination and three days food records will also be measured at baseline, month 3, 6 and one year.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Congestive Heart Failure Ischemic Cardiomyopathy

Interventions

MicronutrientsDRUG

Thiamin one tablet daily provides 50 milligrams(mg) of thiamin, Vitamin B-50 one tablet daily: provides an additional 50 mg of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and pyridoxine, 100 microgram(mcg folic acid, and 50 mcg cyanocobalamin (B12) and biotin; Vitamin D one 50,000 International Units(IU) tablet of ergocalciferol per week for two months followed by one tablet every other week for four months, and Zinc Sulfate (Zn SO4) one tablet daily at bedtime which provides 50 mg elemental zinc (220 mg Zn SO4)

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 89 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * stable CHF (three months without an exacerbation or major change in medication regimen and cardiology provider determined medication regimen (angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), aldosterone, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and Beta blockers) has been maximized), Stage B, C or D CHF resulting from ischemic cardiomyopathy with an ejection fraction ≤ 45% with or without a pacemaker or defibrillator . Potential participants who require further medication titration to attain maximal benefit, will need to wait 30 days after the provider has maximized the dose of medication to participate. Exclusion Criteria: * recent (within the last three months) acute myocardial infarction, or unstable angina, pacemaker or defibrillator placed less than six months prior, or anticipated pacemaker or defibrillator placement in the next six months, or a bi ventricular pacemaker, corticosteroid use (\> 20 mg Prednisone use or its equivalent per day \> 2 weeks duration), isoniazid therapy, use of the study nutrition supplements at the study doses for the past month or longer,(if the participant has been taking a multivitamin or multivitamin with minerals , or other water soluble vitamins they will need to stop taking these for at least one month prior to initiating the study intervention), end-stage liver disease, end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis, receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy, active alcohol/ substance abuse, pregnancy /lactation, women of childbearing potential who do not have medical documentation of surgically induced menopause, pancreatitis, any psychological issues like severe depression, claustrophobia, active problematic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or memory loss that prevents compliance with the supplement intake, agoraphobia which may interfere attendance at research visits or fear of needles which would limit their ability to have the blood tests completed, and any active eating disorders. Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan will not be used to test cardiac function in participants with a pacemaker or defibrillator. Nor will it be used for potential subjects with ferro magnetic materials (i.e., penile stimulator), inability to lie flat for up to one hour, inability to hold their breath for up to 15 seconds or those with claustrophobia.

Locations (1)

Phoenix VA Health Care System

Phoenix, Arizona, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Change in Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction by Echocardiogram

Change in Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF) by Echocardiogram. The measure is the difference between the LVEF at 6 months from the baseline LVEF. A higher LVEF shows improvement and a lower LVEF shows worsening.

Time frame: Change from baseline in Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction at 6 months

Change in Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction as Measured by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction Measured by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). The measure is the difference between the LVEF at 6 months from the baseline LVEF. A higher LVEF shows improvement and a lower LVEF shows worsening.

Time frame: Change from baseline in Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction at 6 months

Secondary Outcomes

Change in Quality of Life

The "Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire" was used to assess quality of life (QOL). This scale has 21 questions and each question has a possible score of 0 -5, where 0 is no or not applicable, 1 is very little and 5 is very much. The score for each question measures how much heart failure is affecting QOL. The higher the score the more heart failure is affecting QOL. Possible range of total scores is 0 - 105. The change from baseline QOL to quality of life at 3 months was calculated by subtracting the 3 month score from the baseline score. A lower score at 3 months indicates better QOL and a high score at 3 months indicates a worse QOL.

Time frame: Change from baseline Quality of Life at 3 months

Nutritional Status

Nutritional Injury (NI) stage was used to assign nutritional status. Nutritional injury describes the interaction between agent, host and environmental factors as 6 progressive stages of altered nutritional status leading to nutritional disease. The 6 stages are seen as progressive beginning with (1) adaptation and diminishing or exceeding reserves, (2) reserves exhausted/ exceeded, (3) physiologic and metabolic alterations related to under/over nutrition, (4) non-specific signs and symptoms of under/over nutrition, (5) illness / specific signs and symptoms of under/over nutrition and (6) permanent damage/damage unresponsive to treatment. The following were used to determine overall nutritional status: body mass index, diet quality, blood nutrient levels and other biochemical measures, physical signs and symptoms of nutrient deficiencies or excesses. The lower the stage the less nutritional injury. The outcome measure is the difference in NI from baseline at 3 months.

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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