Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33140454›Full record

ArticleClinical cardiology2020

The impact of serum concentration-guided digoxin therapy on mortality of heart failure patients: A long-term follow-up, propensity-matched cohort study.

Balázs Muk, Máté Vámos, Péter Bógyi, Barna Szabó, Miklós Dékány, Dénes Vágány, Zsuzsanna Majoros, Tünde Borsányi, Gábor Zoltán Duray, Róbert Gábor Kiss and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical cardiology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Chinese herbal medicines · 2025
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  5. Clinical Impact of Digitalis Therapy in a Large Multicenter Cohort of CRT-Recipients.Journal of cardiovascular development and disease · 2024
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  6. 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

11 authors.

Balázs MukDep. of Cardiology, Medical Centre Hungarian Defence Forces, Budapest, Hungary.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0821-484X
Máté VámosDepartment of Medicine and Cardiology Center, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
Péter BógyiDep. of Cardiology, Medical Centre Hungarian Defence Forces, Budapest, Hungary.
Barna SzabóHeart-Lung-Physiology Clinic, Örebro University Hospital, Örebro, Sweden.
Miklós DékányDep. of Cardiology, Medical Centre Hungarian Defence Forces, Budapest, Hungary.
Dénes VágányDep. of Cardiology, Medical Centre Hungarian Defence Forces, Budapest, Hungary.
Zsuzsanna MajorosDep. of Cardiology, Medical Centre Hungarian Defence Forces, Budapest, Hungary.
Tünde BorsányiDep. of Cardiology, Medical Centre Hungarian Defence Forces, Budapest, Hungary.
Gábor Zoltán DurayDep. of Cardiology, Medical Centre Hungarian Defence Forces, Budapest, Hungary.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1286-6576
Róbert Gábor KissDep. of Cardiology, Medical Centre Hungarian Defence Forces, Budapest, Hungary.
Noémi NyolczasDep. of Cardiology, Medical Centre Hungarian Defence Forces, Budapest, Hungary.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRecently published studies suggested that digoxin may increase mortality in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). However, in the vast majority of former trials serum digoxin concentration (SDC) was not measured and therapy was not SDC-guided.

aimTo assess the impact of SDC-guided digoxin therapy on mortality in HFrEF patients.

methodsData of 580 HFrEF patients were retrospectively analyzed. In patients on digoxin, SDC was measured every 3 months and digoxin dosage was SDC-guided (target SDC: 0.5-0.9 ng/mL). All-cause mortality of digoxin users and nonusers was compared after propensity score matching (PSM).

resultsAfter 7.1 ± 4.7 years follow-up period (FUP) all-cause mortality of digoxin users (n = 180) was significantly higher than nonusers (n = 297) (propensity-adjusted HR = 1.430; 95% CI = 1.134-1.804; P = .003). Patients having SDC of 0.9 to 1.1 ng/mL (n = 60) or > 1.1 ng/mL (n = 44) at any time during the FUP had an increased risk of all-cause mortality (HR = 1.750; 95% CI = 1.257-2.436, P = .001 and HR = 1.687; 95% CI = 1.153-2.466, P = .007), while patients having a maximal SDC < 0.9 ng/mL (n = 76) had similar mortality risk (HR = 1.139; 95% CI = 0.827-1.570, P = .426), compared to digoxin nonusers.

conclusionsAccording to our propensity-matched analysis, SDC-guided digoxin therapy was associated with increased all-cause mortality in optimally treated HFrEF patients, especially with SDC ≥0.9 ng/mL. These results reinforce the expert opinion that digoxin in HFrEF can only be used among carefully selected patients with close SDC monitoring.

Indexed as

Propensity ScoreCardiotonic AgentsDigoxinFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHeart FailureHumansHungaryMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesStroke VolumeSurvival RateTime FactorsTreatment OutcomeCardiotonic AgentsDigoxindigoxindrug therapyheart failuremortalityserum digoxin concentration

Identifiers

PMID33140454
PMCPMC7724220

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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.