Long-term Prednisone Use for End-stage Heart Failure

Summary

Patients with advanced (ACCF/AHA stage D) heart failure and hyperuricemia have high one-year mortality. Currently, there was no evidence-based therapy such as mechanically assisted circulatory support available in China. The investigators found glucocorticoid treatment such as prednisone could improve cardiac performance, potentiate renal responsiveness to diuretics in such patients. Therefore, it could be used as bridge therapy to help ACE inhibitors or beta blocker titration. With its help, most of the patients with stage D heart failure could be titrated to higher dose of ACE inhibitors and beta blockers during hospitalization. However, the efficacy of long-term, low-dose of prednisone use in such patients with limited life expectancy remain unclear. Therefore, the investigators designed this study to observe whether putting low-dose of prednisone on the patients with stage D heart failure for long term could further improve their survival. All patients will receive prednisone treatment during hospitalization and receive maximum tolerated guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT). After discharge from hospital, the patients will be randomized to receive long-term, low-dose prednisone treatment or standard GDMT.

Timeline

Start

2013-12

Primary completion

2017-12

Completion

2017-12

Publications

• Background Liu C, Zhao Q, Zhen Y, Gao Y, Tian L, Wang L, Ji L, Liu G, Ji Z, Liu K. Prednisone in Uric Acid lowering in Symptomatic Heart Failure Patients With Hyperuricemia (PUSH-PATH) study. Can J Cardiol. 2013 Sep;29(9):1048-54. doi: 10.1016/j.cjca.2012.11.008. Epub 2013 Feb 6.
• Background Liu C, Liu G, Zhou C, Ji Z, Zhen Y, Liu K. Potent diuretic effects of prednisone in heart failure patients with refractory diuretic resistance. Can J Cardiol. 2007 Sep;23(11):865-8. doi: 10.1016/s0828-282x(07)70840-1.

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