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The Development of Tolerance to α1-Adrenoceptor Blockade With Chronic Carvedilol Treatment

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Heart Failure
Interventions
Registration Number
NCT00585091
Lead Sponsor
University of Utah
Brief Summary

There is now strong evidence from clinical trials that carvedilol therapy in heart failure is superior to therapy with metoprolol. Not only does carvedilol have superior effects on lipid profiles, insulin sensitivity, renal blood flow, and reversal of pathologic remodeling but also its use is associated with fewer deaths compared to metoprolol. These facts make it important to carefully define how metoprolol and carvedilol are pharmacologically different. One potential difference is α1-AR antagonism. If we demonstrate that these α1-AR effects are preserved with chronic therapy, then α1-AR blockade may have an important role in carvedilol favorably altering the natural history of heart failure. On the other hand, if we demonstrate that tolerance to the α1-AR blockade effect of carvedilol decreases with time, then it would be unlikely that this pharmacologic property contributes to the efficacy of carvedilol. In such a case other pharmacologic properties, such as antioxidant activity, would appear to be important. These results will help guide future studies into CHF and AR blockade.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
15
Inclusion Criteria
  1. Age of 18 to 85 years
  2. Symptomatic heart failure, NYHA class I to III
  3. Left ventricular ejection fraction < 0.40
  4. Give written informed consent
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Exclusion Criteria
  1. active myocarditis
  2. congenital heart disease
  3. uncorrected, hemodynamically significant stenotic valvular disease
  4. hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
  5. Asthma or other obstructive airway diseases requiring bronchodilators
  6. Heart rate < 60 beats/min, supine systolic blood pressure < 85 mm Hg, supine diastolic blood pressure > 90 mm Hg
  7. Uncontrolled Hypertension (Systolic BP >140 mmHg, Diastolic BP > 90 mmHg).
  8. Sick sinus syndrome, Mobitz type 2 second degree AV block or third degree AV block unless controlled with an artificial implantable pacemaker
  9. NYHA functional class IV symptoms
  10. Treatment with an excluded medication (see Excluded Medications below)
  11. Myocardial infarction or coronary artery intervention (CABG or angioplasty) within three months
  12. Unstable angina pectoris
  13. Presence of any progressive systemic disease that would be expected to impact the patient's outcome over the time course of the study
  14. Uncorrected endocrine disorders including primary aldosteronism, pheochromocytoma, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, brittle type 1 diabetes mellitus
  15. Evidence of significant renal disease (serum creatinine > 2.5 mg/dl), or hepatic disease (transaminase level > three fold higher than laboratory normal)
  16. Symptomatic peripheral vascular disease
  17. Inability or unwillingness to cooperate with study or give written informed consent
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Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
SINGLE_GROUP
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
AphenylephrineAll patients undergo repeated phenylephrine infusions during standard up-titration and maintenance of carvedilol treatment.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
The primary objective of this study is to determine if tolerance to α1-AR blockade develops with the chronic administration of carvedilol in heart failure patients.Oct 2003-Aug 2008
Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
All patients undergo repeated phenylephrine infusions during standard up-titration and maintenance of carvedilol treatment.Oct 2003-Aug 2008

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Utah

🇺🇸

Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

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