The Effects of Ranolazine on Exercise Capacity in Patients With Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction

Not Applicable

Completed

Conditions: Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction

Interventions: Drug: Placebo
Drug: Ranolazine

Registration Number: NCT01505179

Lead Sponsor: University of California, San Diego

Brief Summary: The purpose of this study is to determine whether treatment with Ranolazine will improve exercise capacity in patients with Heart Failure with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction, or HFPEF.

Detailed Description: Denise Barnard, M.D., and her associates, are conducting a research study to find out more about ways to improve symptoms in patients with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFPEF). Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction is a condition where the heart squeezes well but is stiff. This stiffness in the heart muscle makes the heart unable to fill, leading to shortness of breath and decreased exercise tolerance. Subjects with HFPEF are asked to participate in this study. There will be approximately 40 participants enrolled in this study. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of Ranolazine (Ranexa) in patients with HFPEF. The study is sponsored by the manufacturers of the drug, Gilead Pharmaceuticals.

Ranolazine is a drug that affects the ion channels in the heart. In patients with heart failure, these ion channels do not work properly, and contribute to make the heart stiff. A stiff heart leads to the symptoms of shortness of breath which patients with HFPEF experience. Due to its properties, Ranolazine may improve this stiffness. Ranolazine could improve subject's shortness of breath and ability to exercise.

Currently, ranolazine carries FDA approval for the treatment of chronic angina only. We intend to study ranolazine in patients with HFPEF, in the absence of documented ischemia, to determine whether the drug's lusitropic properties can improve exercise capacity in HFPEF patients.

Previous trials of ranolazine in patients with chronic angina found that there was a dose-dependent relationship between improvements in exercise capacity and ranolazine. However, there did appear to be a plateau in which 1500 mg of ranolazine twice daily improved exercise capacity only slightly more than 1000 mg of ranolazine given twice daily. Additionally, there was a substantially higher rate of adverse events (mainly nausea, dizziness, and asthenia) with the higher dose. Given the desire to maximize benefit and minimize the risk of adverse events, ranolazine 1000 mg by mouth twice daily was chosen as the target dose.

To properly evaluate the effects of Ranolazine, this research study is set up as a double blind, placebo controlled study. Subjects will be randomly assigned (like rolling a dice) to either Ranolazine or placebo (inactive substance). Subjects will have a 50% chance of getting the study drug and 50% chance of getting placebo.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: COMPLETED

Sex: All

Target Recruitment: 10

Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL

Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Placebo	Placebo	Patients will be given 1 tab twice a day for 3 days, then increasing to 2 tabs twice a day thereafter (patients who concurrently take moderate CYP3A inhibitors, will be given 1 tab twice daily for the entire dosing period)
Ranolazine	Ranolazine	Patients with be given 500 mg by mouth twice a day for three days, and then the dose will be increased to 1000 mg by mouth twice daily thereafter. (patients who concurrently take moderate CYP3A inhibitors including diltiazem, verapamil, aprepitant, erythromycin, and fluconazole will continue to 500 mg by mouth twice a day for the entire dosing period)

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in Exercise Capacity at 6 Weeks	6 weeks	Exercise capacity in terms of exercise duration (time in seconds) as described for the baseline value, is repeated at 6 weeks.
Change in Oxygen Consumption (VO2) at 6 Weeks	6 weeks	Oxygen consumption (VO2) as described at baseline is remeasured after 6 weeks of drug vs placebo.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in Quality of Life (QOL) Score	6 weeks	The Minnesota Living with Heart Failure (HF) Questionnaire was re-administered at the 6 week time point. The total quality of life (QOL) scores were compared to the baseline score. The well-validated Minnesota Living with Heart Failure questionnaire is self-administered, has 21 questions and takes 5-10 minutes to complete. The test measures perceived health-related QOL. Each question is scored from 0 to 5 on the Likert scale, where 0 is 'none', and 5 is 'very much'. QOL scores range from 0 to 105; a lower score represents a better quality of life. After an intervention, a decrease in score reflects an improvement in QOL. A minimally important difference in the total score is 5 points.
Change in Doppler Echocardiographic Parameters, Septal E/e' Ratio (E/e')	6 weeks	Doppler echo allows non-invasive evaluation of diastolic cardiac function. The mitral inflow velocity (E) correlates with LV filling pressure, but is influenced by myocardial relaxation time (RT) and filling pressure. The early diastolic septal mitral annular tissue velocity (e') varies with RT alone. The unitless ratio of the E to e' velocities (E/e') is considered a reliable surrogate of LV filling pressure. Prediction of normal diastolic filling pressure is most reliable when E/e' is \< 8; and of abnormal filling pressure when E/e' is \> 15. The percent change is reported.