Effects of candesartan on cardiac sympathetic nerve activity in patients with congestive heart failure and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction.

What Was Tested

Researchers studied 3-Iodobenzylguanidine in this randomized controlled trial publication.

The researchers sought to evaluate the effects of angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) on cardiac sympathetic nerve activity (CSNA) in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) with a preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).

Why It Was Studied

However, the effect of ARB therapy on CSNA evaluated by iodine-123 meta-iodobenzylguanidine ((123)I-MIBG) scintigraphy has not been determined in CHF patients with preserved LVEF.

Who Took Part

The study group was 50 patients.

The age groups tagged for this paper are middle-aged adults, older adults and people over 80, both men and women.

Twenty-five patients were randomized to also receive candesartan, whereas the remaining 25 patients received placebo.

The delayed heart/mediastinum count (H/M) ratio, delayed total defect score (TDS), and washout rate (WR) were determined by (123)I-MIBG scintigraphy before and six months after treatment.

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study.

The patients were allocated by chance, so the 3-Iodobenzylguanidine group and the comparison group should start out alike.

Neither the patients nor the staff measuring them knew who was on 3-Iodobenzylguanidine, so expectations could not easily colour the readings.

The comparison arm used a placebo, so changes seen with 3-Iodobenzylguanidine could be set against what happens without it.

The LV end-diastolic volume and LVEF were determined by echocardiography, and the plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) concentration was also measured.

What Was Measured

However, the effect of ARB therapy on CSNA evaluated by iodine-123 meta-iodobenzylguanidine ((123)I-MIBG) scintigraphy has not been determined in CHF patients with preserved LVEF.

The subject headings attached to it are 3-Iodobenzylguanidine, Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers, Antihypertensive Agents, Benzimidazoles, Biphenyl Compounds, Cardiac Volume and Echocardiography.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of 3-Iodobenzylguanidine in 50 patients.

The abstract goes on to report its results in about 4 sentences; this page does not restate them, so read the paper for the findings and their limits.

The publication is from 2005 (Journal of the American College of Cardiology), a journal based in United States.

More context: all human trials.