Extended Follow-Up of Patients with Heart Failure Receiving Autonomic Regulation Therapy in the ANTHEM-HF Study

• Published in: Journal of cardiac failure 2016-08, Vol.22 (8), p.639-642
• Main Authors: Premchand, Rajendra K, Sharma, Kamal, Mittal, Sanjay, Monteiro, Rufino, Dixit, Satyajit, Libbus, Imad, DiCarlo, Lorenzo A, Ardell, Jeffrey L, Rector, Thomas S, Amurthur, Badri, KenKnight, Bruce H, Anand, Inder S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Autonomic Nervous System - physiopathology; autonomic regulation therapy; Cardiovascular; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Heart failure; Heart Failure - physiopathology; Heart Failure - therapy; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; nonpharmacological therapy; Stroke Volume - physiology; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; vagus nerve stimulation; Vagus Nerve Stimulation - methods; Ventricular Function, Left - physiology; Ventricular Remodeling
• ISSN: 1071-9164; 1532-8414
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cardfail.2015.11.002

Abstract Objective Evaluate the effects of a novel autonomic regulation therapy (ART) via vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) in patients with chronic heart failure (HF) and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction during a 12-month follow-up period. Methods The Autonomic Regulation Therapy for the Improvement of Left Ventricular Function and Heart Failure Symptoms (ANTHEM-HF) study enrolled 60 subjects with New York Heart Association class II-III HF and low left ventricular ejection fraction (≤40%), who received open-loop ART using VNS randomized to left or right cervical vagus nerve placement and followed for 6 months after titration to a therapeutic output current (2.0 ± 0.6 mA). Patients received chronic stimulation at a frequency of 10 Hz and pulse duration of 250 µsec. Forty-nine subjects consented to participate in an extended follow-up study for an additional 6 months (12 months total posttitration) to determine whether the effects of therapy were maintained. Results During the 6-month extended follow-up period, there were no device malfunctions or device-related serious adverse effects. There were 7 serious adverse effects unrelated to the device, including 3 deaths (2 sudden cardiac deaths, 1 worsening HF death). There were 5 nonserious adverse events that were adjudicated to be device-related. Safety and tolerability were similar, and there were no significant differences in efficacy between left- and right-sided ART. Overall, mean efficacy measure values at 12 months were not significantly different from mean values at 6 months. Conclusions Chronic open-loop ART via left- or right-sided VNS continued to be feasible and well-tolerated in patients with HF with reduced EF. Improvements in cardiac function and HF symptoms seen after 6 months of ART were maintained at 12 months.