Changes in plasma endothelin-1 levels reflect clinical response to beta-blockade in chronic heart failure

What Was Tested

This randomized controlled trial paper looks at Endothelin-1.

To determine this, the researchers measured plasma endothelin-1 in addition to functional, hemodynamic, and other neurohormonal parameters as part of a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the beta-blocker vasodilator carvedilol in patients with moderate to severe chronic heart failure.

Why It Was Studied

Plasma levels of endothelin-1 are elevated in patients with chronic heart failure; however, it is unknown whether changes in plasma endothelin-1 levels accurately reflect clinical response to therapy in these patients.

Who Took Part

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

How the Study Was Run

The design is described as randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled and parallel-group.

Because people in this Endothelin-1 study were split into groups at random, differences between the groups are less likely to reflect who happened to join each one.

As a double-blind Endothelin-1 study, the assignments were hidden from both participants and investigators until the end.

The comparison arm used a placebo, so changes seen with Endothelin-1 could be set against what happens without it.

Groups ran in parallel: each of the participants stayed in one arm throughout.

The methods mention a period of 14 weeks.

What Was Measured

Plasma levels of endothelin-1 are elevated in patients with chronic heart failure; however, it is unknown whether changes in plasma endothelin-1 levels accurately reflect clinical response to therapy in these patients.

The subject headings attached to it are Adrenergic beta-Antagonists, Aldosterone, Carbazoles, Carvedilol, Endothelins, Free Radical Scavengers and Heart Failure.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Endothelin-1 over 14 weeks.

The publication is from 1996 (American heart journal), a journal based in United States.

More context: the Endothelin-1 compound page, all human trials.