Evidence map›Paper›PMID 23503714›Full record

Trial reportClinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society2013

Intermittent levosimendan treatment in patients with severe congestive heart failure.

Petri O Tuomainen, Jarkko Magga, Pekka Timonen, Kati Miettinen, Minna Kurttila, Esko Vanninen, Tomi Laitinen, Kirsi Timonen, Kari Punnonen, Ilkka Parviainen and 4 more

Abstract readClinical Trial
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Clinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
2.4field-weighted citation impact, top 10% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 15 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Intermittent levosimendan improves mid-term survival in chronic heart failure patients: meta-analysis of randomised trials.Clinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society · 2014
    Pooled it
  2. A single German center experience with intermittent inotropes for patients on the high-urgent heart transplant waiting list.Clinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society · 2015
    Trial
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Epicardial ablation cures electrical storm caused by cardiac involvement in myotonic dystrophia type 2.Clinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society · 2014
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Petri O TuomainenDepartment of Internal Medicine, Kuopio University Hospital and University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, 70211 Kuopio, Finland. Petri.Tuomainen@uef.fi
Jarkko Magga
Pekka Timonen
Kati Miettinen
Minna Kurttila
Esko Vanninen
Tomi Laitinen
Kirsi Timonen
Kari Punnonen
Ilkka Parviainen
Ari Uusaro
Olli Vuolteenaho
Matti Kivikko
Keijo Peuhkurinen
Kuopio University Hospital · FIUniversity of Eastern Finland · FIOrion Corporation (Finland) · FIUniversity of Oulu · FI

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveLevosimendan (LS) is a novel inodilator for the treatment of severe congestive heart failure (CHF). In this study, we investigated the potential long-term effects of intermittent LS treatment on the pathophysiology of heart failure.

methodsThirteen patients with modest to severe CHF received three 24-h intravenous infusions of LS at 3-week intervals. Exercise capacity was determined by bicycle ergospirometry, well-being assessed by Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) and laboratory parameters of interest measured before and after each treatment.

resultsOne patient experienced non-sustained periods of ventricular tachycardia (VT) during the first infusion and had to discontinue the study. Otherwise the LS infusions were well tolerated. Exercise capacity (VO2max) did not improve significantly during the study although symptoms decreased (P < 0.0001). Levels of plasma NT-proANP, NT-proBNP and NT-proXNP decreased 30-50% during each infusion (P < 0.001 for all), but the changes disappeared within 3 weeks. Although norepinephrine (NE) appeared to increase during the first treatment (P = 0.019), no long-term changes were observed.

conclusionIntermittent LS treatments decreased effectively and repetitively plasma vasoactive peptide levels, but no carryover effects were observed. Patients' symptoms decreased for the whole study period although there was no objective improvement of their exercise capacity. The prognostic significance of these effects needs to be further studied.

Indexed as

AgedCardiotonic AgentsDrug Administration ScheduleExercise TestExercise ToleranceHeart FailureHumansHydrazonesInfusions, IntravenousLongitudinal StudiesMaleMiddle AgedOxygenPyridazinesSeverity of Illness IndexSimendanCardiotonic AgentsHydrazonesOxygenPyridazinesSimendan

Identifiers

PMID23503714
OpenAlexW2063924252

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.