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Prevention of Acute Myocardial Injury by Trimetazidine in Patients Hospitalized for COVID-19

Prevention of Acute Myocardial Injury by Trimetazidine in Patients Hospitalized for Moderate to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Caused by SARS-CoV-2

Status
UNKNOWN
Phases
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04760821
Acronym
PREMIER
Enrollment
80
Registered
2021-02-18
Start date
2020-12-10
Completion date
2021-04-30
Last updated
2021-02-21

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Covid19, Myocardial Injury

Keywords

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Coronavirus, Myocardial Injury, Troponin, Trimetazidine

Brief summary

Acute myocardial injury has been a finding of variable frequency among patients diagnosed with COVID-19. It is now recognized that cTnI levels are strongly associated with increased mortality. The mechanisms underlying the myocardial injury remain unknown, and it is not clear whether they reflect local/systemic inflammatory process and/or cellular ischemia. Both myocardial ischemia and ventricular dysfunction result in dramatic changes in mitochondrial oxidative metabolism. These changes involve an increase in the rate of cytoplasmic anaerobic glycolysis to compensate for the decrease in mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production. The rest of the mitochondrial oxidative metabolism originates mainly from the β-oxidation of free fatty acids, which occurs at the expense of glucose oxidation. Trimetazidine is a competitive inhibitor of the enzyme 3-ketoacyl coenzyme A (CoA) long-chain thiolase (3-KAT), the last enzyme involved in the oxidation of fatty acids. Stimulation of glucose oxidation by trimetazidine results in a better coupling between glycolysis and glucose oxidation, with a consequent decrease in lactate production and intracellular acidosis, present in situations of myocardial ischemia or heart failure. Thus, the PREMIER-COVID-19 study was designed to test the hypothesis that the use of trimetazidine associated with usual therapy in patients admitted with a diagnosis of moderate to severe acute respiratory syndrome by SARS-CoV2 infection reduces the extent of acute myocardial injury assessed by the peak release of ultra-sensitive troponin compared to usual therapy.

Detailed description

Acute myocardial injury, defined by increased levels of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (cTnI), has been a finding of variable frequency among patients diagnosed with COVID-19. This myocardial impairment can occur in the form of acute myocarditis or an injury secondary to the imbalance between oxygen supply and demand (type 2 myocardial infarction). It is now recognized that cTnI levels are strongly associated with increased mortality. The mechanisms underlying the myocardial injury remain unknown, and it is not clear whether they reflect local/systemic inflammatory process and/or cellular ischemia. Both myocardial ischemia and ventricular dysfunction result in dramatic changes in mitochondrial oxidative metabolism. These changes involve an increase in cytoplasmic anaerobic glycolysis rate to compensate for the decrease in mitochondrial ATP production. Unfortunately, the increase in glycolysis exceeds the subsequent mitochondrial oxidation capacity of pyruvate (glucose oxidation) derived from glycolysis, resulting in the intracellular accumulation of lactate and protons. The protons produced from this decoupling between glycolysis and glucose oxidation contribute to a rupture in ionic homeostasis and myocardial cells, resulting in lower cardiac efficiency. In both the ischemic heart and the insufficient heart, the rest of the mitochondrial oxidative metabolism originates mainly from the β-oxidation of free fatty acids, which occurs at the expense of glucose oxidation. Trimetazidine is a competitive inhibitor of the enzyme 3-ketoacyl CoA long-chain thiolase (3-KAT), the last enzyme involved in the oxidation of fatty acids. Stimulation of glucose oxidation by trimetazidine results in a better coupling between glycolysis and glucose oxidation, with a consequent decrease in lactate production and intracellular acidosis present in situations of myocardial ischemia or heart failure. Thus, the PREMIER-COVID-19 study (open and randomized) was designed to test the hypothesis that the use of trimetazidine associated with usual therapy in patients admitted with a diagnosis of moderate to severe acute respiratory syndrome by SARS-CoV2 infection reduces the extent of acute myocardial injury assessed by the peak release of ultra-sensitive troponin compared to usual therapy. Investigators will also assess, as secondary outcomes, the impact on clinical evolution to more severe forms (admission to the intensive care unit or the need for mechanical ventilatory support, length of stay in hospital and in-hospital mortality).

Interventions

DRUGTrimetazidine

Trimetazidine 35mg bid in patients with GFR above 60mL/min. Trimetazidine 35mg od in patients with GFR between 30 and 60mL/min.

Sponsors

InCor Heart Institute
CollaboratorOTHER
Ministry of Health, Brazil
Lead SponsorOTHER_GOV

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Intervention model description

Patients admitted for moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by the SARS-CoV2 will be randomized to usual care or usual care + trimetazidine.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

A. Inclusion Criteria: 1. Clinical diagnosis of moderate to severe acute respiratory syndrome due to SARS-CoV2 defined as: 1.1. Tachypnea: \> 24 breaths per minute 1.2. Hypoxemia: arterial oxygen saturation \<94% in room air by pulse oximetry 1.3. Presumptive (or confirmed) diagnosis of SARS-Cov2 infection by at least one of the following criteria: 1. Polymerase chain reaction assay (+) for SARS-CoV2 2. Serology (+) for SARS-CoV2 3. SARS-CoV2 antigen diagnostic tests (+) 4. Chest CT with findings suggestive of the diagnosis of COVID-19 in the presence of medical history or clinical signs compatible with the diagnosis of COVID-19 2. Signature of the Informed Consent Form B.

Exclusion criteria

1. Chronic renal dysfunction stage 4 (GFR \<30mL / min / 1.73m2 calculated by the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation 2. Patient on renal replacement therapy by dialysis 3. Pregnant and lactating women 4. Previous use of trimetazidine less than two weeks before hospital admission 5. Any clinical condition at the investigator´s discretion likely to be associated with elevation of baseline hs-troponin \>99th percentile

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
High-sensitivity cardiac troponinFrom enrollment until at least ten days (moderate cases) or twenty days (severe cases) after the beginning of symptoms AND 24 hours without fever AND with improvement in symptoms.Concentration levels of plasma high-sensitivity cardiac troponin

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
All-cause mortality assessed at 30 days following randomizationFrom the first 30 days after randomizationPercentage of patients who died from all causes during hospitalization
Admission in ICU assessed at 30 days following randomizationFrom the first 30 days after randomizationPercentage of patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit
Mechanical respiratory support assessed at 30 days following randomizationFrom the first 30 days after randomizationPercentage of patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit who needed mechanical respiratory support
ICU-free days assessed at 30 days following randomizationFrom the first 30 days after randomizationTime (in days) out of the ICU
Hospital-free days assessed at 30 days following randomizationFrom the first 30 days after randomizationTime (in days) out of the hospital

Countries

Brazil

Contacts

Primary ContactLuis Henrique Wolff Gowdak, MD, PhD
luis.gowdak@gmail.com+55-11-2661-5000
Backup ContactFelipe Gallego Lima, MD
felipeglima@yahoo.com.br+55-11-2661-5000

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026