Comparative effects of valsartan and enalapril on cardiac sympathetic nerve activity and plasma brain natriuretic peptide in patients with congestive heart failure

What Was Tested

Researchers studied BNP (Nesiritide) in this randomized controlled trial publication.

To evaluate the effects of valsartan on cardiac sympathetic nerve activity, plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) concentration, cardiac function, and symptoms in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) by comparison with those of enalapril.

Who Took Part

The abstract describes 50 patients taking part.

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

All patients were also treated with a loop diuretic.

Plasma BNP concentrations were measured before and after six months of treatment.

How the Study Was Run

The design is described as randomized.

The patients were allocated by chance, so the BNP (Nesiritide) group and the comparison group should start out alike.

The methods mention a period of six months.

The delayed heart to mediastinum count (H/M) ratio, delayed total defect score (TDS), and washout rate were determined from (123)I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) images.

The left ventricular end diastolic volume (LVEDV) and LVEF were also determined by echocardiography.

What Was Measured

The subject headings attached to it are 3-Iodobenzylguanidine, Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors, Enalapril, Heart, Heart Failure, Mediastinum and Natriuretic Peptide, Brain.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized study of BNP (Nesiritide) in 50 patients over six months.

The abstract goes on to report its results in about 5 sentences; this page does not restate them, so read the paper for the findings and their limits.

The publication is from 2006 (Heart (British Cardiac Society)), a journal based in England.

More context: the BNP (Nesiritide) compound page, all human trials.