Safety and Efficacy of the Combination of Loop With Thiazide-type Diuretics in Patients With Decompensated Heart Failure

Spanish Society of Internal Medicine232 enrolled

Overview

The purpose of this study is to determine whether a combined diuretic therapy (loop diuretics with thiazide-type diuretics) is more effective (in terms of improving fluid overload symptoms) among patients with decompensated heart failure in comparison with loop diuretic alone.

Volume overload is an important clinical target in heart failure management, typically addressed using loop diuretics. An important and challenging subset of heart failure patients exhibit fluid overload despite significant doses of loop diuretics. One approach to overcome loop diuretic resistance is the addition of a thiazide-type diuretic to produce diuretic synergy via "sequential nephron blockade," first described more than 40 years ago. Although potentially able to induce diuresis in patients otherwise resistant to high doses of loop diuretics, this strategy has not been subjected to large-scale clinical trials to establish safety and clinical efficacy. Combination diuretic therapy using any of several thiazide-type diuretics can more than double daily urine sodium excretion to induce weight loss and edema resolution. To our knowledge there are no clinical trials designed to prove the efficacy and safety of combined diuretic therapy (a commonly used therapy) among patients with decompensated heart failure.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

QUADRUPLE

Enrollment

232

Conditions

Heart Failure

Interventions

hydrochlorothiazideDRUG

hydrochlorothiazide according to clearance of creatinine; \>50ml/min 25mg daily, 20-50ml/min 50mg daily amd \<20ml/min 100mg daily.

PlaceboDRUG

Placebo according to clearance of creatinine; \>50ml/min 1/2 pill daily, 20-50ml/min 1 pill daily amd \<20ml/min 2 pills daily.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * History of chronic heart failure * Admission for acute decompensated heart failure * There is no prespecified inclusion criterion with respect to heart failure etiology and/or ejection fraction * Receipt of an oral loop diuretic for at least 1 month before hospitalization, at a dose between 80 mg and 240 mg daily in the case of furosemide and an equivalent dose in the case of a different loop diuretic (20 mg of torasemide or 1 mg of bumetanide was considered to be equivalent to 40 mg of furosemide) Exclusion Criteria: * Other etiologies of fluid overload different from heart failure * Hyponatremia: any symptomatic sodium value or a sodium level below 125mmol/l * Unstable patients: acute coronary syndrome, cardiogenic shock or ICU admission. * Patients requiring inotropic agents or renal replacement therapies * Life expectancy \< 6 months * Prior treatment with thiazide-type diuretics * Aldosterone antagonists are permitted if the patient had been taking them on a long-term basis (at least 30 days before randomisation) * Pregnancy or breastfeeding period * Active alcoholism and/or other substance abuse

Locations (1)

Internal Medicine Service, Hospital d'Olot (Girona)

Olot, Girona, Spain

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Changes in body weight

Bodyweight will be measured every 24 hours (during hospitalisation) from the date of inclusion / randomisation until the date of discharge. Changes in body weight measurements: the mean of weight lost every 24 hours and the total weight lost from baseline to the 5th day of hospitalisation. Participants will be followed for the duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 9 days.

Time frame: Bodyweight will be measured every 24 hours (during hospitalisation) from the date of inclusion / randomisation until the date of discharge.

Patient-reported dyspnea

Patient-reported dyspnea is assessed every 24 hours (during hospitalisation) from the date of inclusion / randomisation until the date of discharge. Patient-reported dyspnea is assessed with the use of a visual-analogue scale (VAS) and the Linker 7 point scale. Changes in patient-reported dyspnea: changes in the dyspnea scales from baseline to the 5th day of hospitalisation.

Time frame: Patient-reported dyspnea is assessed every 24 hours (during hospitalisation) from the date of inclusion / randomisation until the date of discharge.

Secondary Outcomes

Diuresis

Time frame: 24-hour diuresis will be quantified every 24 hours (during hospitalisation) from the 1st day until the 4th day of hospitalisation.

Worsening renal function

Renal function will be determined every 24 hours (during hospitalisation) from the date of inclusion / randomisation until the date of discharge. Renal function is assessed with the serum creatinine level. Worsening renal function is defined as an increase in the serum creatinine level of more than 0.3 mg/dl at any time during hospitalisation Participants will be followed for the duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 9 days.

Time frame: Renal function will be determined every 24 hours (during hospitalisation) from the date of inclusion / randomisation until the date of discharge.

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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