DrugLib.com — Drug Information Portal

Rx drug information, pharmaceutical research, clinical trials, news, and more



Digoxin and reduction in mortality and hospitalization in heart failure: a comprehensive post hoc analysis of the DIG trial.

Author(s): Ahmed A, Rich MW, Love TE, Lloyd-Jones DM, Aban IB, Colucci WS, Adams KF, Gheorghiade M

Affiliation(s): University of Alabama at Birmingham, VA Medical Center, 1530 3rd Avenue South, CH-19, Ste-219, Birmingham, AL 35294-2041, USA. aahmed@uab.edu

Publication date & source: 2006-01, Eur Heart J., 27(2):178-86. Epub 2005 Dec 8.

AIMS: To determine the effects of digoxin on all-cause mortality and heart failure (HF) hospitalizations, regardless of ejection fraction, accounting for serum digoxin concentration (SDC). METHODS AND RESULTS: This comprehensive post-hoc analysis of the randomized controlled Digitalis Investigation Group trial (n=7788) focuses on 5548 patients: 1687 with SDC, drawn randomly at 1 month, and 3861 placebo patients, alive at 1 month. Overall, 33% died and 31% had HF hospitalizations during a 40-month median follow-up. Compared with placebo, SDC 0.5-0.9 ng/mL was associated with lower mortality [29 vs. 33% placebo; adjusted hazard ratio (AHR), 0.77; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.67-0.89], all-cause hospitalizations (64 vs. 67% placebo; AHR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.78-0.92) and HF hospitalizations (23 vs. 33% placebo; AHR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.54-0.72). SDC> or =1.0 ng/mL was associated with lower HF hospitalizations (29 vs. 33% placebo; AHR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.59-0.79), without any effect on mortality. SDC 0.5-0.9 reduced mortality in a wide spectrum of HF patients and had no interaction with ejection fraction >45% (P=0.834) or sex (P=0.917). CONCLUSIONS: Digoxin at SDC 0.5-0.9 ng/mL reduces mortality and hospitalizations in all HF patients, including those with preserved systolic function. At higher SDC, digoxin reduces HF hospitalization but has no effect on mortality or all-cause hospitalizations.

Page last updated: 2006-01-31

-- advertisement -- The American Red Cross
 
Home | About Us | Contact Us | Site usage policy | Privacy policy

All Rights reserved - Copyright DrugLib.com, 2006-2017