Heart failure (HF) affects more than 6 million adults in the U.S. alone, with increasing prevalence. Cardiovascular congestion with resultant limitation in physical activity is the hallmark of chronic and decompensated HF. The current HF physiologic model suggests that congestion is the result of volume retention and, therefore, therapies (such as diuretics) have generally been targeted at volume overload. Yet therapeutic approaches to reduce congestion have failed to show significant benefit on clinical outcomes, potentially due to an untargeted approach of decongestive therapies. The investigators' preliminary work suggested a complimentary contribution of volume redistribution to the mechanism of cardiac decompensation. The investigators identified the splanchnic nerves as a potential therapeutic target and showed that short-term interruption of the splanchnic nerve signaling could have favorable effects on cardiovascular hemodynamics and symptoms. As part of the investigators' proposal, the investigators will test the safety and efficacy of prolonged splanchnic nerve block in a randomized, controlled, blinded study in patients with HF and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The results will help test the hypothesis of volume redistribution as a driver of cardiovascular congestion and functional limitations and pave the way for splanchnic nerve blockade as a novel therapeutic approach to HF.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
54
Catheter based ablation on the right greater splanchnic nerve
Sham-control ablation procedure
Duke
Durham, North Carolina, United States
RECRUITINGNumber of participants with cardiovascular death
Time frame: 1 month post intervention
Number of participants with acute myocardial infarction
Time frame: 1 month post intervention
Number of participants with major vascular complications resulting prolonged hospitalization or surgical intervention
Time frame: 1 month post intervention
Number of participants with stroke
Time frame: 1 month post intervention
Change in exercise pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) post splanchnic nerve block (SNB)
Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) is measured by inserting a catheter with a balloon tip into a central vein and advancing it into a branch of the pulmonary artery. The catheter measures changing pressures in the pulmonary vessels. The upper limit of normal for PCWP is 12 mm Hg.
Time frame: Baseline to 3 months post splanchnic nerve block (SNB)
Change in pulmonary arterial mean pressure
Time frame: Baseline to 3 months
Change in peak VO2 (oxygen uptake)
A higher peak VO2 indicates better fitness.
Time frame: Baseline, 1, 3, 6, and 12 months
Change in 6-minute walk test (6MWT)
The distance a patient walks in 6 minutes is used to assess aerobic capacity and endurance.
Time frame: Baseline, 1, 3, 6, and 12 months
Change in N terminal pro brain natriuretic protein (NT-proBNP) level
N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a protein produced by the heart that can help diagnose and monitor heart failure.
Time frame: Baseline, 1, 3, 6, and 12 months
Change in echocardiographic parameters - ejection fraction (EF)
EF equals the amount of blood pumped out of the ventricle with each contraction (stroke volume or SV) divided by the end-diastolic volume (EDV), the total amount of blood in the ventricle.
Time frame: Baseline, 1, 3, and 6 months
Change in echocardiographic parameters - right ventricular end diastolic diameter
Right ventricular end diastolic diameter indicates the size of the right ventricle when it is at its most expanded state. larger measurements potentially signifying right ventricular dilation.
Time frame: Baseline, 1, 3, and 6 months
Change in left ventricle to left atrial volume ratio (LVLAVR)
LVLAVR is the calculated ratio between the volume of the left ventricle (LV) and the volume of the left atrium (LA) in the heart and indicates how much larger the left ventricle is compared to the left atrium. This ratio is often used to assess left ventricular filling pressures and can be a marker for potential heart conditions, particularly related to diastolic dysfunction.
Time frame: Baseline, 1, 3, and 6 months
Change in diastolic function as measured with lateral wall e' and E/e'
An E/e' ratio of less than 8 is considered normal, while a ratio greater than 15 indicates increased left ventricle filling pressures.
Time frame: Baseline, 1, 3, and 6 months
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