Association of Repetitive Dosing of Levosimendan with Reduction of NYHA Class and NT-proBNP Levels in Decompensated Heart Failure: A Retrospective Cohort Study

• Published in: Drugs - Real World Outcomes 2022-09, Vol.9 (3), p.529-537
• Main Authors: Wechsler, Maximilian, Schwinger, Robert H. G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Brain natriuretic peptide; Cardiac glycosides; Cardiotonic agents; Cohort analysis; Dosage and administration; Drug dosages; Drug therapy; Ejection fraction; Health aspects; Heart failure; Internal Medicine; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Original; Original Research Article; Patient outcomes; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Pharmacotherapy
• ISSN: 2199-1154; 2198-9788
• DOI: 10.1007/s40801-022-00313-7

Background There is evidence that repetitive administration of levosimendan can improve outcome in chronic heart failure patients. Objective The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the effect of therapy with levosimendan (LEV) additional to standard medical care in patients with symptomatic heart failure (HFrEF = heart failure with reduced ejection fraction) on NYHA class, NT-proBNP values, ejection fraction (EF) and body weight. Patients and Methods 178 participating patients (125 male, 53 female; mean age of 73 ± 13 years) were grouped according to whether LEV was given once (group 1) or repetitively (group 2). In group 2 data were analysed for first treatment with LEV (group 2a) and for the following repetitive LEV treatments (group 2b). The differentiation was required to see if there were different results for the particular groups. Results Repetitive dosing was given between two and 11 times, leading to 47 repetitive applications of LEV and a total of 225 (178 once + 47 repetitive) applications. The mean time between the repetitive dosing was 133 days or 4.3 months. LEV in addition to standard medical treatment was associated with reduction of NT-proBNP levels from 9138 to 7051 pg/mL ( p