Effect of mibefradil, a T-type calcium channel blocker, on morbidity and mortality in moderate to severe congestive heart failure: the MACH-1 study. Mortality Assessment in Congestive Heart Failure Trial.

BACKGROUND: Calcium antagonists have proved disappointing in long-term congestive heart failure (CHF) studies. Mibefradil, a new calcium antagonist that selectively blocks T-type calcium channels, has been shown to be an effective antihypertensive, antianginal, and anti-ischemic agent, and because of its different mechanism of action, it may be beneficial as adjunct therapy in CHF patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: This multicenter, randomized, double-blind study compared mibefradil with placebo as adjunct to usual therapy in 2590 CHF patients (NYHA class II to IV; left ventricular fraction <35%). The initial 50-mg daily dose of mibefradil was uptitrated to 100 mg after 1 month and continued up to 3 years. Patients were monitored at 1 week; 1, 2, and 3 months; and every 3 months thereafter. All-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and cardiovascular morbidity/mortality were analyzed by use of the log-rank test (alpha=0.05). Substudies included exercise tolerance, plasma hormone and cytokines, echocardiography, and quality of life. Total mortality was similar between mibefradil- and placebo-treated patients (P=0.151). The 14% increased risk of mortality with mibefradil in the first 3 months was not statistically significant (P=0.093). Treatment groups had similar cardiovascular mortality (P=0.246), cardiovascular morbidity/mortality (P=0.783), and reasons for death or hospitalization. Patients comedicated with mibefradil and antiarrhythmics (class I or III), including amiodarone, had a significantly increased risk of death. Substudies demonstrated no significant differences between treatments. CONCLUSIONS: When used as adjunct therapy, mibefradil did not affect the usual outcome of CHF. The potential interaction with antiarrhythmic drugs, especially amiodarone, and drugs associated with torsade de pointes may have contributed to poor outcomes early in the study.

Hemodynamic effects of a new inotropic agent, piroximone (MDL 19205), in patients with chronic heart failure.

The hemodynamic and neurohumoral effects of cummulative intravenous doses of piroximone (MDL 19205), a noncatecholamine, nonglycoside, imidazole derivative with positive inotropic and vasodilating properties, were studied in eight patients with severe congestive heart failure. A dose of 1.25 mg/kg in seven patients and 1.75 mg/kg in one patient increased cardiac index by 75% from 1.96 to 3.41 liters/min per m2 and decreased systemic vascular resistance (-41%), right atrial (-66%) and pulmonary wedge pressure (-35%) (all p less than 0.005). Mean arterial pressure was slightly reduced from 78 to 71 mm Hg (p less than 0.05) and forearm blood flow increased by 42%. Plasma norepinephrine decreased from 830 to 542 pg/ml (p less than 0.05) and plasma renin activity tended to increase. In four patients, dobutamine (15 micrograms/kg per min) produced a comparable increase in cardiac index (+100%), but less decrease in pulmonary wedge pressure (-21 versus -41%, p less than 0.05 versus piroximone) and, unlike piroximone, significantly increased heart rate (+22%, p less than 0.05 versus piroximone) and heart rate-blood pressure product (+30%, p less than 0.01 versus piroximone). In four other patients, a single intravenous dose of piroximone (1 mg/kg) resulted in a 35% increase in the first derivative of left ventricular pressure (dP/dt) from 796 to 1,068 mm Hg/s (p less than 0.01). Thus, piroximone is a potent inotropic agent with an acute hemodynamic profile that may be more favorable than that of dobutamine. Because the drug is orally absorbed, clinical trials of chronic efficacy are indicated.

Hemodynamic and hormonal response to transdermal nitroglycerin in normal subjects and in patients with congestive heart failure.

The hemodynamic and hormonal responses to nitroglycerin administered transdermally in a gel-like matrix were evaluated in nine patients with severe congestive heart failure and in nine normal subjects. In normal subjects, peripheral vasodilation was accompanied by reflex sympathetic stimulation as reflected by an increase in heart rate and plasma norepinephrine. In patients with heart failure, nitroglycerin produced sustained hemodynamic effects that began 30 minutes after the application and fully persisted for at least 6 hours. A significant decrease in right and left ventricular filling pressures was associated with an increase in stroke index and a significant decrease in forearm and pulmonary vascular resistances. There was no change in heart rate and systemic arterial pressure or in plasma norepinephrine or plasma renin activity. After 24 hours, pressures had partially returned to control levels, but mean pulmonary artery pressure was still significantly lower than in the control period. After removal of the nitroglycerin, each patient exhibited a decrease in cardiac index and an increase, above the control values, in pulmonary and systemic arterial pressures and pulmonary, systemic and forearm vascular resistances. This transient rebound appeared to be unrelated to stimulation of the sympathetic or renin-angiotensin systems. Thus, transdermal absorption of this new form of nitroglycerin appears to provide a nitrate vascular effect that is sustained for 24 hours, but an endogenous vasoconstrictor effect may influence the hemodynamic response over the first 24 hours.

Abnormal neurohumoral response to nitroprusside infusion in congestive heart failure.

Vasodilator drugs produce tachycardia and an increase in circulating plasma norepinephrine in normal subjects. In contrast, heart rate does not change when the same drugs are given to patients with congestive heart failure. To assess if this difference could be related to a different reflex activation of the sympathetic nervous system, the response of plasma norepinephrine to nitroprusside infusion and to head-up tilt was studied in 5 normal subjects and in 46 patients with chronic congestive heart failure. Norepinephrine and heart rate increased significantly during both stimuli in normal subjects but were unchanged during nitroprusside infusion for the entire group of patients with heart failure, with considerable variability in individual responses. In 21 patients (Group I) norepinephrine increased during nitroprusside infusion, while in the remaining 25 (Group II) norepinephrine decreased. The hemodynamic response to nitroprusside was similar in the two groups, thus suggesting that the different changes in plasma norepinephrine could not be explained on the basis of a different hemodynamic response to the drug. Plasma norepinephrine also did not change significantly in Group II during tilt, although the decrease in intracardiac pressure and the increase in peripheral resistance were similar to those in Group I who increased norepinephrine normally by 56%. These data indicate that a subset of patients with severe ventricular dysfunction have an abnormal humoral, reflex sympathetic response to changes in arterial or intracardiac pressure, or both. The higher mortality in Group II suggests that this alteration in the sympathetic response may be a marker of the severity and prognosis of heart failure.

Regional blood flow response to orthostasis in patients with congestive heart failure.

To investigate the central and regional circulatory response to orthostasis in congestive heart failure, hemodynamic variables and forearm and hepatic blood flow were measured in 22 patients at supine rest and during a 65 degrees head-up tilt. Results were compared with those in nine normal subjects. Heart rate and mean arterial blood pressure increased during tilt in normal subjects, but not in patients with heart failure. Forearm blood flow decreased in normal subjects from 3.7 +/- 1.1 to 2.7 +/- 1.5 ml/min per 100 g (probability [p] less than 0.02), but did not change from a lower baseline (1.65 +/- 0.78 ml/min per 100 g) in patients. Forearm vascular resistance increased in normal subjects but not in patients. Hepatic blood flow did not change during tilt in either group, but hepatic vascular resistance increased in normal subjects from 0.37 +/- 0.13 to 0.47 +/- 0.15 U, (p less than 0.02). The increase was not seen in patients (1.2 +/- 1.1 to 1.4 +/- 1.0 U, p = not significant [NS] ). Total systemic resistance increased in patients from 1,848 +/- 560 to 2,132 +/- 731 dynes.s.cm-5 (p less than 0.005) indicating that resistance did increase in some vascular beds. Plasma norepinephrine also increased modestly in these patients from 665 +/- 377 to 761 +/- 379 pg/ml (p = 0.035), but individual changes in plasma norepinephrine did not correlate with changes in hepatic or forearm resistance. Thus, both the overall hemodynamic response and the regulation of regional blood flow and resistance differ in several respects in patients with congestive heart failure when compared with normal subjects. Changes in heart rate, blood pressure, forearm flow and forearm and hepatic vascular resistance are all blunted in patients. Reasons for the differences are not yet clear, but may be associated with abnormalities in reflex control of the circulation in patients with congestive heart failure.

Impaired response of plasma vasopressin to orthostatic stress in patients with congestive heart failure.

Arginine vasopressin, a potent vasoconstrictor and regulator of body water, is frequently increased in the plasma of patients with congestive heart failure. Other neurohumoral control networks, such as the sympathetic nervous system and the renin-angiotensin system, also demonstrate increased activity in congestive heart failure, but fail to respond normally to physiologic stress, such as orthostatic tilt. To assess the response of plasma vasopressin to orthostasis in heart failure, vasopressin was measured before and at 10 and 45 minutes during passive upright tilt in 15 patients with congestive heart failure and their response was compared with that in 9 normal control subjects. Arginine vasopressin was measured by radioimmunoassay. In the normal subjects, plasma arginine vasopressin was 5.3 +/- 2.3 pg/ml at control, was unchanged at 10 minutes, but significantly increased to 7.0 +/- 2.5 pg/ml at 45 minutes (p less than 0.05). In contrast, patients with congestive heart failure showed no significant changes in arginine vasopressin levels from the control levels of 11.6 +/- 5.5 pg/ml. Both plasma norepinephrine and renin activity increased in the normal subjects, but failed to increase from higher baselines in patients with congestive heart failure. Thus, plasma arginine vasopressin, like plasma norepinephrine and renin activity, does not increase in response to upright tilt in patients with congestive heart failure. The explanation is not evident but could involve either abnormalities in reflex control of plasma vasopressin in congestive heart failure or in clearance of the hormone during orthostasis.

Calcium uptake by cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum in human dilated cardiomyopathy.

To determine the biochemical basis of abnormal diastolic properties in human dilated cardiomyopathy calcium uptake by the sarcoplasmic reticulum in ventricular homogenates of biopsy specimens from 21 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy was compared with that in nine normal controls. As a group, patients with cardiomyopathy had considerably lower calcium uptake rates (3.3(0.6) nmol.mg-1.min-1 vs 6.5(0.5) nmol.mg-1.min-1, p less than 0.01). Calcium uptake rates correlated modestly with resting haemodynamic values and significantly with plasma noradrenaline concentrations but not with plasma renin activity. These results show that sarcoplasmic reticulum function is impaired in human dilated cardiomyopathy and that this impairment is related both to the severity of haemodynamic dysfunction and to the extent of sympathetic nervous system activation.

Acute hemodynamic and hormonal response to indoramin in congestive heart failure.

Acute hemodynamic and hormonal responses to a single dose of indoramin, an alpha 1-antagonist, were evaluated in 11 subjects with severe chronic congestive heart failure. A hemodynamic effect began within 1 hr of indoramin and persisted during the 6 hr of hemodynamic monitoring. Decreased right and left ventricular filling pressures were associated with increased stroke index and decreased pulmonary and systemic vascular resistances. Heart rate did not increase despite a fall in systemic arterial pressure. Forearm blood flow, forearm venous capacitance, and plasma norepinephrine levels were unchanged, whereas plasma renin activity rose from 12.7 +/- 17.4 to 16.6 +/- 20.4 ng/ml/hr. The only side effect was drowsiness in five of the 11 subjects. Our data demonstrate the acute effectiveness of indoramin in reducing ventricular preload and systemic vascular resistance in heart failure.

Hemodynamic and regional blood flow response to captopril in congestive heart failure.

In 19 patients with moderate to severe congestive heart failure the over-all hemodynamic response to captopril was compared with its effect on regional blood flow. Ninety minutes after administering a single dose of captopril (25 to 150 mg), right atrial pressure decreased from 6.1 +/- 6.1 to 3.2 +/- 5.1 mm Hg (p less than 0.001), pulmonary artery pressure from 33.1 +/- 8.3 to 26.5 +/- 9.1 mm Hg (p less than 0.001), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure from 22.4 +/- 6.2 to 15.2 +/- 7.4 mm Hg to (p less than 0.001), mean arterial pressure from 77.2 +/- 8.0 to 66.5 +/- 13.7 mm Hg (p less than 0.001), and systemic vascular resistance from 1,630 +/- 503 to 1,233 +/- 443 dyne-s-cm-5 (p less than 0.001), and cardiac index increased from 2.0 +/- 0.6 to 2.4 +/- 0.7 l/minute/m2 (p less than 0.001). Despite the significant increase in cardiac index there was no increase in either hepatic blood flow (203 +/- 212 to 142 +/- 101 units, N.S.) or forearm blood flow (2.2 +/- 0.9 to 2.2 +/- 1.0 ml/100 g per minute, N.S.) after captopril. Similarly, the global reduction in systemic vascular resistance was not accompanied by a reduction in either hepatic vascular resistance (0.93 +/- 0.90 to 0.83 +/- 0.69 units, N.S.) or forearm vascular resistance (41.3 +/- 18.4 to 34.9 +/- 12.4 mm Hg/ml/100 g per minute, N.S.). The over-all improvement in hemodynamics that is seen when captopril is given to patients with severe heart failure does not apply uniformally to all vascular beds. The heterogeneous response reflects the variable vasoconstrictor part played by the renin-angiotensin system in regulating flow to individual regional circulations.

Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors in congestive heart failure. Overview in comparison of captopril and enalapril.

In this study, the use of enalapril and captopril is compared in the treatment of congestive heart failure. Although both drugs act on the renin-angiotensin system via converting enzyme inhibition, their different chemical structures may dispose them to different pharmacologic and physiologic activity. Both drugs exert a vasodilator effect, with reduction of left and right ventricular filling pressures and aortic impedance. In short-term hemodynamic studies, the onset of action and peak effect are earlier with captopril. Enalapril has a much more gradual onset and longer duration of action. Both drugs have a shallow dose-response curve and both produce comparable hormonal changes: an increase in plasma renin activity and a decrease in aldosterone levels. Captopril also increases prostaglandin production. Long-term efficacy trials have demonstrated symptomatic improvement in patients given captopril and those receiving enalapril who were also receiving digitalis and diuretics. Baseline hemodynamics may not predict long-term improvement. There are few adverse effects for the two drugs, but their incidences differ, suggesting a relationship to chemical structure. Recent studies in congestive heart failure suggest a reduction in mortality with various drug regimens.

Role of vasodilators in the treatment of congestive heart failure.

Appreciation of the important role played by peripheral vasoconstriction in the pathophysiology of congestive heart failure (CHF) has led to the widespread use of vasodilators as treatment. Short-term studies show that, regardless of the vasodilator used, the arterial and venous dilatation produced invariably results in improvement in the hemodynamic status of patients. This short-term response, however, does not automatically translate to long-term clinical improvement. The reasons for this are not well understood but such factors as differing mechanisms of action, development of tolerance and unique patterns of regional redistribution of blood flow may all play a modifying role in differentiating one vasodilator from another. Nevertheless, a number of controlled trials have demonstrated sustained symptomatic and functional improvement when vasodilators such as the converting enzyme inhibitors or nitrates are given to patients with CHF.

Neuroendocrine activation in acute myocardial infarction.

Recent research indicates that neurohormonal responses after myocardial infarction may predict patient outcome, and alteration of this process may change etiologic factors and strengthen positive prognosticators. Because there are clinical similarities between acute myocardial infarction and heart failure, there appears to be justification for a unified treatment approach (i.e., therapies that have proved beneficial in the treatment of myocardial infarction have also showed promise in the treatment of heart failure). Conversely, some therapies that have benefited the patient with heart failure may benefit the patient who has had a myocardial infarction. For example, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors have been proven to blunt detrimental neurohormonal activity seen after myocardial infarction. These therapies promise to reduce complications and improve survival.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition in congestive heart failure: the concept.

Plasma renin activity frequently is increased in patients with congestive heart failure. This increase in inversely related to serum sodium concentration, but is not correlated with hemodynamic measurements. Nonetheless, inhibition of converting enzyme activity by administration of teprotide or captopril results in a decrease in systemic vascular resistance that is directly related to the control plasma renin activity. These data suggest that angiotensin II contributes to the systemic vasoconstriction of heart failure and that chronic inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system may have a salutary effect on left ventricular performance in patients with heart failure.

Lack of correlation between exercise capacity and indexes of resting left ventricular performance in heart failure.

Symptoms of congestive heart failure occur most commonly during exercise, but cardiac performance is usually quantitated at rest. The relation between exercise capacity and measurements of cardiac performance at rest is little known. Treadmill exercise was performed in 21 patients with heart failure due to cardiomyopathy. Exercise duration averaged 9.1 +/- 0.7 (standard error of the mean) minutes (normal value 12 or more minutes) and did not correlate with resting ejection fraction of 26.4 +/- 2.7 percent (r = -0.06). Left ventricular diastolic dimension of 6.6 +/0 0.2 cm, mean velocity of circumferential fiber shortening and ratio of preejection period to left ventricular ejection time did not correlate with treadmill time (r = -0.03). Repeat studies after treatment of heart failure also failed to show correlations between changes in exercise capacity and changes in left ventricular performance at rest. Thus, measures of left ventricular performance obtained at rest do not accurately reflect exercise tolerance and symptomatic status of patients with congestive heart failure.

Effects of high-dose lisinopril-isosorbide dinitrate on severe mitral regurgitation and heart failure remodeling.

In long-term, 1-year follow-up, uptitration of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and nitrate therapy over established doses can further improve severe functional mitral regurgitation in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy due to a reversal of heart failure-related left ventricular remodeling. With marked left ventricular enlargement, >6.8 cm end-diastolic diameter, heart failure remodeling may be irreversible and resistant to further medical intervention.

Effects of orthotopic heart transplantation on sympathetic control mechanisms in congestive heart failure.

Abnormal sympathetic nervous system activity in severe congestive heart failure (CHF) was studied in 14 patients before and 3 to 6 months after orthotopic heart transplantation. Before transplantation plasma norepinephrine (NE) levels at rest were elevated (909 +/- 429 pg/ml, p less than 0.01 compared with normal, 185 +/- 60 pg/ml). No reflex activation of the sympathetic nervous system was seen with infusion of sodium nitroprusside despite a significant decrease in arterial pressure. The response to orthostatic tilt also was blunted in the patients before transplantation. Exercise capacity was reduced in these patients and plasma NE increased promptly at low exercise loads. After cardiac transplantation plasma NE levels returned to normal (319 +/- 188 pg/ml) and the sympathetic response to the stresses of orthostatic tilt (320 +/- 196 to 419 +/- 197, p less than 0.002) and nitroprusside infusion (255 +/- 94 to 555 +/- 130, p less than 0.001) normalized within 6 months after transplantation. Exercise capacity increased and the increase in plasma NE levels at various exercise loads was reduced for any given workload. Therefore, abnormal adrenergic activity in patients with severe CHF results mostly from the reduction in left ventricular pump function and is reversible if adequate pump function is restored.

Role of vasoconstrictor mechanisms in the control of left ventricular performance of the normal and damaged heart.

The effect on the left ventricle of changes in the state of the arterial vasculature is best identified by utilizing calculations of pulsatile rather than steady flow phenomena. Impedance is the most satisfactory term to describe this effect. The normal ventricle compensates for changes in impedance largely by changes in preload, but the damaged heart loses this compensatory ability and its stroke volume becomes inversely related to outflow resistance. Patients with heart failure behave in a similar fashion and pharmacologic vasodilation may induce marked improvement in left ventricular pump function. Inappropriate vasoconstriction in heart failure may result from stimulation of the sympathetic or renin-angiotensin system. Early experience with converting enzyme inhibitors suggests that blockade of the formation of angiotensin II may be a useful means of treating some patients with heart failure.

Response of symptomatic myocardial ischemia in ischemic cardiomyopathy to intensive vasodilator therapy.

To determine the cardiovascular protective effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, we examined the response to intensive vasodilator therapy in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy and ongoing angina pectoris. We found that for patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy and ongoing active angina, intensive vasodilator therapy with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition and nitrates improved not only heart failure-related symptoms, but also resulted in a significant improvement in symptomatic ischemia and ischemia-related morbid events.

Impact of medical therapy on pulmonary hypertension in patients with congestive heart failure awaiting cardiac transplantation.

Pulmonary artery (PA) hypertension in transplant recipients increases mortality from right heart failure following heart transplantation. We examined the impact of long-term medical therapy on the severity of PA hypertension in patients with end-stage congestive heart failure on a transplant waiting list. The initial and final, quarterly right heart catheterization data on 60 patients (50 men, aged 50 +/- 9 years, New York Heart Association class III to IV) awaiting heart transplantation were analyzed and the patients divided into 2 groups: group A, those with persistent elevated systolic PA pressures throughout the 10-month follow-up (n = 31 of 60), and group B, those who had any decrease in systolic PA pressure during that period (n = 29 of 60). Group A had no change in hemodynamics. Group B had a significant decrease( +/- SD) in right atrial (11 +/- 7 to 5 +/- 4 mm Hg), PA (57 +/- 11 to 37 +/- 11 mm Hg), and PA wedge (25 +/- 9 to 14 +/- 7 mm Hg) pressures, with increases in cardiac output (3.8 +/- 0.9 to 4.7 +/- 1.1 L/min) and ejection fraction (18 +/- 6% to 27 +/- 11%) (p < 0.05). The combined end point of transplant or death occurred in 28 of 31 patients (90%) in group A versus 14 of 29 (50%) in group B (p = 0.0004). Ischemic etiology was present in 71 % of patients in group A versus 68% with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy in group B (p = 0.003). The reversibility of PA hypertension rather than its initial severity is predictive of patient clinical outcome. Idiopathic, as opposed to ischemic, cardiomyopathy responds better to medical therapy.

Effect of dobutamine on plasma potassium in congestive heart failure secondary to idiopathic or ischemic cardiomyopathy.

Dobutamine was administered in a dose of 10 +/- 1 micrograms/kg/min to 13 patients with severe idiopathic or ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy. Acute hemodynamic improvement was noted in all patients. All patients had a significant decrease in plasma potassium (4.6 +/- 0.1 to 4.2 +/- 0.2 mEq/liter, p less than 0.0001) at peak infusion. The decrease in potassium persisted for at least 45 minutes after discontinuing the infusion. Three patients had exacerbation of baseline ventricular arrhythmias that resolved with infusion discontinuation. Changes in plasma norepinephrine could not explain the potassium decrease or arrhythmia production, which also significantly decreased in these patients (771 +/- 123 to 524 +/- 73 pg/ml, p less than 0.01). It is concluded that dobutamine causes a significant decrease in plasma potassium and that the decrease persists at least 45 minutes after the infusion is discontinued.