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Heart Failure, CongestivePhase 4NCT00233480

Statin Therapy in Heart Failure: Potential Mechanisms of Benefit

A Phase 4 study testing atorvastatin in people with Heart Failure, Congestive, run by University of California, Los Angeles at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The goal of the investigators' study is to further understand the potentially beneficial effects of statin therapy in patients with heart failure. It is hypothesized that statins will 1) increase the heart's pumping ability 2) improve functioning of the sympathetic nervous system and 3) decrease immune activation in… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Heart Failure, Congestive
What is being tested?
atorvastatin
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
27 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Aug 2005to Feb 2009
Phase
Phase 4
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Age≥18 years old
  • LVEF ≤ 35%, as documented by echocardiography, radionuclide ventriculography, gated SPECT, or contrast ventriculography within past 6 months
  • Symptomatic HF (NYHA II-IV) or current NYHA I with history of symptomatic HF within the last year
  • Stable doses of optimal HF medical therapy, unless documented contraindication.

Who cannot join

  • Ischemic etiology of HF, defined as the presence of at least one of the following four criteria; angiographic evidence of > 50% lesion in 1 or more of the 3 major epicardial vessels; history of myocardial infarction; history of revascularization procedure; evidence of significant perfusion defect in the setting of ischemic symptoms.
  • Clinical indication for statin treatment - coronary artery, cerebrovascular, or peripheral vascular disease
  • Major cardiovascular event or surgical procedure within past 8 weeks
  • LDL<70 mg/dL
  • HF secondary to congenital heart disease or uncorrected valvular disease
  • Treatment with statin within past 2 months
Show all 10Show fewer
  • Pregnancy
  • Contraindication to statin: moderate liver disease, AST/ALT > 150 U/ L, known hypersensitivity
  • Likely to receive heart transplant within 3 months
  • Known peripheral or autonomic neuropathy

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center

    Los Angeles, California, 90095

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: A Double-blind Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Single-Center Study to Assess the Impact of Statins on the Autonomic Nervous System and Cardiac Structure/Function in Non-Ischemic Heart Failure

The goal of the investigators' study is to further understand the potentially beneficial effects of statin therapy in patients with heart failure. It is hypothesized that statins will 1) increase the heart's pumping ability 2) improve functioning of the sympathetic nervous system and 3) decrease immune activation in heart failure.

Read the detailed description

Recent evidence suggests that HMG-Coenzyme A (statin) therapy may be associated with improved survival in both ischemic and non-ischemic heart failure (HF). Large, randomized outcome studies of statins in HF are currently underway, but these trials will not address underlying mechanisms. The aim of the study is to investigate statins' potentially beneficial mechanisms of action in HF, focusing on: 1) sympathetic nervous system activation and 2) myocardial remodeling, and 3) immune activation in heart failure.

Fifty patients with systolic HF of non-ischemic etiology from a single center will be randomized in a double-blinded fashion to 3 months of atorvastatin 10mg QD (25 subjects) vs matching placebo QD (25 subjects). The following exams will be performed at baseline (pre-treatment) and at end of study (post-treatment): sympathetic microneurography, echocardiography, and peripheral blood chemokine analysis. Sympathetic microneurography at the peroneal nerve will directly quantify changes in sympathetic nerve activity (bursts/minute). Echocardiography (with the addition of MRI in a subset of subjects without pacemakers or implantable defibrillators) will be used to track changes in cardiac structure and function; indices of remodeling will include measurement of left ventricular mass index, left ventricular volume indices, left ventricular ejection fraction, and subendocardial scar quantification (MRI only). Immune activation will be characterized by circulating cytokines and chemokines. Additionally, quantification of established cardiac biomarkers (cardiac troponin, B-type natriuretic peptide, and C-reactive Protein), Holter monitor/heart rate variability studies, and quality of life and global clinical assessment will be performed pre- and post- treatment.

Neither sympathetic microneurography nor MRI have been previously utilized to assess statins' effects in humans with HF. The impact of statin therapy on inflammatory chemokine activation in HF also has not been studied. The knowledge gained from our proposed investigations may serve as a basis for understanding how statin therapy has potential to improve clinical outcomes in HF, and may ultimately lead to new therapeutic strategies for HF.

Being tested
atorvastatin, placebo
Keywords
Randomized Controlled Trial, Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors, Sympathetic Nervous System, Ventricular Remodeling, Chemokines
Medical subject headings
Heart Failure, Ventricular Remodeling

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • atorvastatinDrug

    Also called lipitor

    atorvastatin 10mg PO QD

  • placeboDrug

    matched placebo Qd x 3 months

Study groups in NCT00233480
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
active treatmentExperimentalatorvastatin 10mg QD x 3 months
Receives: Drug: atorvastatin
placeboPlacebo comparatormatched placebo QD x 3 months
Receives: Drug: placebo

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. LVEF (Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction)

    Left ventricular ejection fraction was assessed by transthoracic echocardiography according to Simpson's rule (biplane method of disks).

    Measured: baseline and three months

  2. Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity (by Sympathetic Microneurography)

    Measured: Baseline and three months

Secondary outcomes (4)
  1. Left Ventricular End-diastolic Dimension (LVEDD)

    The end-diastolic dimension of the left ventricle (in mm) was measured with 2D echocardiography performed by experienced technicians using Acuson Sequoia Echocardiography System

    Measured: Baseline and three months

  2. Cardiac Biomarker Level BNP

    B-type natriuretic peptide, measured pg/mL at baseline and post-treatment

    Measured: Baseline, 3 months

  3. High-sensitivity C-reactive Protein (hsCRP) as a Cardiac Biomarker

    Measured: Baseline, Three months

  4. Cardiac Troponin I (cTnI)

    Participants with cTnI ≥0.04 ng/mL

    Measured: Baseline, Three months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted5 Oct 2005 (estimated)
  2. Study startAug 2005
  3. Primary completionFeb 2009
  4. Study completionFeb 2009

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 4
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Quadruple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
27 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00233480
Sponsor's protocol ID
UCLA IRB #04-12-007-01
Other IDs
1K23HL085097-01A1
Status last verified
Mar 2020
First submitted
4 Oct 2005
Last updated
20 Mar 2020
Data monitoring committee
Yes

Publications

  • Horwich TB, Middlekauff HR. Potential autonomic nervous system effects of statins in heart failure. Heart Fail Clin. 2008 Apr;4(2):163-70. doi: 10.1016/j.hfc.2008.01.004.

    PubMed 18433696
  • Horwich TB, MacLellan WR. Atorvastatin and statins in the treatment of heart failure. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2007 Dec;8(17):3061-8. doi: 10.1517/14656566.8.17.3061.

    PubMed 18001265
  • PubMed ID 22041323

  • Horwich TB, Middlekauff HR, Maclellan WR, Fonarow GC. Statins do not significantly affect muscle sympathetic nerve activity in humans with nonischemic heart failure: a double-blind placebo-controlled trial. J Card Fail. 2011 Nov;17(11):879-86. doi: 10.1016/j.cardfail.2011.07.008. Epub 2011 Sep 3.

    PubMed 22041323

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 4 study testing atorvastatin in people with Heart Failure, Congestive, run by University of California, Los Angeles at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 10 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 20 Mar 2020. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 4 studies take place after a treatment is approved, to learn more about its long-term benefits and risks in everyday use.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 20 Mar 2020). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

LVEF (Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction) (time frame: baseline and three months). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00233480, which also lists 4 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 20 Mar 2020.

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