BACKGROUND: In previous randomized studies levosimendan improved hemodynamics and clinical course, with a still unclear effect on prognosis. There are, however, few data regarding its effects when used in daily practice. AIMS: We evaluated the clinical effectiveness and safety of levosimendan in the treatment of acute systolic heart failure (SHF) in daily practice conditions. METHODS: In this prospective, multicenter, nonrandomized trial, a continuous infusion of levosimendan (0.05 microg/kg/min-0.2 microg/kg/min) was administered for 24 hours. An optional loading dose of 12 microg/kg over 10 minutes was used. The primary combined endpoint of clinical effectiveness (as defined by a eight-variable clinical score) and safety (defined by the absence of serious adverse events) was assessed at 24 hours after the beginning of treatment; a second similar primary combined endpoint was assessed at 5 days. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-nine consecutive patients requiring inotropes despite optimal oral background heart failure therapy were recruited. The primary endpoint was reached in 80.6% at 24 hours and in 79.7% at 5 days. During the six months before levosimendan the number of patient days of hospitalization for heart failure was 14.9 +/- 14.6 versus 3.1 +/- 7.6 during the six months following levosimendan (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In daily practice, levosimendan was clinically effective and safe in 80.6% and 79.7% of patients with acute SHF at 24 hours and 5 days respectively after the beginning of treatment. A marked reduction in the number of days of hospitalization for heart failure was also seen during the subsequent six months.
BACKGROUND: In previous randomized studies levosimendan improved hemodynamics and clinical course, with a still unclear effect on prognosis. There are, however, few data regarding its effects when used in daily practice. AIMS: We evaluated the clinical effectiveness and safety of levosimendan in the treatment of acute systolic heart failure (SHF) in daily practice conditions. METHODS: In this prospective, multicenter, nonrandomized trial, a continuous infusion of levosimendan (0.05 microg/kg/min-0.2 microg/kg/min) was administered for 24 hours. An optional loading dose of 12 microg/kg over 10 minutes was used. The primary combined endpoint of clinical effectiveness (as defined by a eight-variable clinical score) and safety (defined by the absence of serious adverse events) was assessed at 24 hours after the beginning of treatment; a second similar primary combined endpoint was assessed at 5 days. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-nine consecutive patients requiring inotropes despite optimal oral background heart failure therapy were recruited. The primary endpoint was reached in 80.6% at 24 hours and in 79.7% at 5 days. During the six months before levosimendan the number of patient days of hospitalization for heart failure was 14.9 +/- 14.6 versus 3.1 +/- 7.6 during the six months following levosimendan (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In daily practice, levosimendan was clinically effective and safe in 80.6% and 79.7% of patients with acute SHF at 24 hours and 5 days respectively after the beginning of treatment. A marked reduction in the number of days of hospitalization for heart failure was also seen during the subsequent six months.
Authors: Zoltán Papp; Piergiuseppe Agostoni; Julian Alvarez; Dominique Bettex; Stefan Bouchez; Dulce Brito; Vladimir Černý; Josep Comin-Colet; Marisa G Crespo-Leiro; Juan F Delgado; István Édes; Alexander A Eremenko; Dimitrios Farmakis; Francesco Fedele; Cândida Fonseca; Sonja Fruhwald; Massimo Girardis; Fabio Guarracino; Veli-Pekka Harjola; Matthias Heringlake; Antoine Herpain; Leo M A Heunks; Tryggve Husebye; Višnja Ivancan; Kristjan Karason; Sundeep Kaul; Matti Kivikko; Janek Kubica; Josep Masip; Simon Matskeplishvili; Alexandre Mebazaa; Markku S Nieminen; Fabrizio Oliva; Julius G Papp; John Parissis; Alexander Parkhomenko; Pentti Põder; Gerhard Pölzl; Alexander Reinecke; Sven-Erik Ricksten; Hynek Riha; Alain Rudiger; Toni Sarapohja; Robert H G Schwinger; Wolfgang Toller; Luigi Tritapepe; Carsten Tschöpe; Gerhard Wikström; Dirk von Lewinski; Bojan Vrtovec; Piero Pollesello Journal: J Cardiovasc Pharmacol Date: 2020-07 Impact factor: 3.105
Authors: Zoltán Papp; Piergiuseppe Agostoni; Julian Alvarez; Dominique Bettex; Stefan Bouchez; Dulce Brito; Vladimir Černý; Josep Comin-Colet; Marisa G Crespo-Leiro; Juan F Delgado; Istvan Édes; Alexander A Eremenko; Dimitrios Farmakis; Francesco Fedele; Cândida Fonseca; Sonja Fruhwald; Massimo Girardis; Fabio Guarracino; Veli-Pekka Harjola; Matthias Heringlake; Antoine Herpain; Leo Ma Heunks; Tryggve Husebye; Višnja Ivancan; Kristjan Karason; Sundeep Kaul; Matti Kivikko; Janek Kubica; Josep Masip; Simon Matskeplishvili; Alexandre Mebazaa; Markku S Nieminen; Fabrizio Oliva; Julius-Gyula Papp; John Parissis; Alexander Parkhomenko; Pentti Põder; Gerhard Pölzl; Alexander Reinecke; Sven-Erik Ricksten; Hynek Riha; Alain Rudiger; Toni Sarapohja; Robert Hg Schwinger; Wolfgang Toller; Luigi Tritapepe; Carsten Tschöpe; Gerhard Wikström; Dirk von Lewinski; Bojan Vrtovec; Piero Pollesello Journal: Card Fail Rev Date: 2020-07-08
Authors: Mehmet B Yilmaz; Elena Grossini; José C Silva Cardoso; István Édes; Francesco Fedele; Piero Pollesello; Matti Kivikko; Veli-Pekka Harjola; Julia Hasslacher; Alexandre Mebazaa; Andrea Morelli; Jos le Noble; Anders Oldner; Ignacio Oulego Erroz; John T Parissis; Alexander Parkhomenko; Gerhard Poelzl; Sebastian Rehberg; Sven-Erik Ricksten; Luís M Rodríguez Fernández; Markku Salmenperä; Mervyn Singer; Sascha Treskatsch; Bojan Vrtovec; Gerhard Wikström Journal: Cardiovasc Drugs Ther Date: 2013-12 Impact factor: 3.727