Spironolactone improves cardiac sympathetic nerve activity and symptoms in patients with congestive heart failure

Abstract

We evaluated whether spironolactone would improve cardiac sympathetic nerve activity and symptoms in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF).

Methods: Thirty patients with CHF (left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF] < 40%; mean, 30% +/- 9%) were treated with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, a loop diuretic, and, in most cases, digoxin. Fifteen patients (group A) were assigned to additionally receive spironolactone (12.5-50 mg/day), and the remaining 15 patients (group B) continued their current regimen. Patients were studied before and 6 mo after treatment. The delayed heart-to-mediastinum count ratio (H/M ratio), delayed total defect score (TDS), and washout rate (WR) were determined from (123)I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) images. LVEF was determined by echocardiography, and New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class was estimated.

Results: Before treatment, LVEF, TDS, H/M ratio, WR, and NYHA functional class were similar in both groups. With treatment, LVEF did not significantly improve in either group. However, after treatment in group A, TDS decreased from 37 +/- 9 to 25 +/- 13 (P = 0.0001), H/M ratio increased from 1.62 +/- 0.20 to 1.83 +/- 0.27 (P < 0.0001), and WR decreased from 51 +/- 9 to 40 +/- 15 (P < 0.001). In group B, these parameters did not significantly change. NYHA functional class improved in both groups (in group A, from 3.3 +/- 0.5 to 1.7 +/- 0.5 [P < 0.0001]; in group B, from 3.3 +/- 0.5 to 2.4 +/- 0.6 [P = 0.01]); this was a significantly greater improvement in group A than in group B (P < 0.01).

Conclusion: Spironolactone improves cardiac sympathetic nerve activity and symptoms in patients with CHF.