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Effect of Diuretics Withdrawal in Chronic Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction

Safety and Tolerability of Diuretics Withdrawal in Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction. REDICAE Trial.

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05964738
Acronym
REDICAE
Enrollment
98
Registered
2023-07-28
Start date
2022-12-19
Completion date
2024-10-31
Last updated
2024-11-04

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

Conditions

Dyspnea, Electric Impedance, Heart Failure, Safety, Withdrawal

Keywords

Heart Failure, Diuretics, Dyspnea, Safety, Fluid overload, Withdraw, Electric Impedance

Brief summary

REDICAE trial was designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of diuretics withdrawal in stable, euvolemic chronic outpatients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. It is a single-center, randomized, open-label, phase II clinical trial.

Detailed description

Treatment of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) has improved patient survival in recent decades. Diuretics are essentials in acute decompensated heart failure, specially furosemide. However, when patients are stable and euvolemic diuretics (loop diuretics, thiazide diuretics or acetazolamide) might increase adverse effects: renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system activation, renal function impairment or electrolyte disturbances. The 2021 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure recommend angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) or angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI), beta-blockers (BB), mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA) and sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (iSTLT2) as first-line therapy for HFrEF. A significant proportion of patients take a maintenance diuretics dose despite the clinical benefits and prognosis are controversial. Current clinical guidelines suggest that diuretic use can be reduced or discontinued in selected euvolemic or hypovolemic patients. This statement is based on the results of the ReBIC-1 trial published in 2019, which showed a neutral effect of furosemide discontinuation in stable chronic outpatients with HFrEF treated according to the 2016 ESC heart failure guidelines standards of care. REDICAE trial was designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of diuretics withdrawal, not just furosemide, in stable euvolemic chronic outpatients with HFrEF. It is a single-center, randomized, open-label phase II clinical trial. The pathophysiology of congestion in heart failure is complex and multifactorial. In the REDICAE trial, volume status will be determined by biomarkers, echocardiography and bioelectrical impedance analysis. The patients enrolled in the study will be under contemporary guideline-directed medical therapy, including SGLT2 inhibitors. This trial is the largest prospective trial evaluating the clinical effects of diuretic discontinuation in HFrEF patients under contemporary pharmacological therapy for heart failure. REDICAE trial develops in Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía in Cordoba (Spain)

Interventions

DRUGDiuretics withdrawal

Diuretics that not have been demonstrated improve survival in chronic HFrEF are withdrawn

DRUGDiuretics maintenance

Any diuretic could be used

Sponsors

Sociedad Andaluza de Cardiología
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Maimónides Biomedical Research Institute of Córdoba
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

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

Inclusion criteria

* Outpatients diagnosed of chronic HFrEF by criteria of ESC Guidelines of 2021 * Age equal or greater than 18 year-old * Stable and euvolemic outpatients determined by clinical criteria, biomarkers (CA-125 \< 23 U/mL) and bioelectrical impedance analysis * Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction less than 50% by echocardiography or cardiovascular magnetic resonance performed within 6 months before the screening visit * New York Heart Association functional class I or II * No episodes of acute decompensated heart failure within 2 months before the screening visit * Treatment with a stable dose of diuretic for at least 1 month before the screening visit * Optimal medical therapy with ACEI/ARNI, BB, MRA and iSGLT2 must be started to titration unless any of them were contraindicated or not tolerated * Plasma potassium \< 5 mg/dl in the screening visit

Exclusion criteria

* Acute coronary syndrome within 3 months before screening visit * Awaiting cardiac resynchronization therapy * Any severe valve heart disease not yet treated * Pulmonary hypertension or any severe pulmonary disease * End-stage chronic kidney disease (on hemodialysis). Acute kidney injury * Severe hepatic failure or cirrhosis * Malignancy on active treatment * Congenital heart disease * Awaiting cardiac transplantation * Inability to understand and sign the informed consent * Participation in any other interventional clinical research

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change From Baseline in Dyspnea assessed by a visual analogue scale (VAS)baseline - 30 days - 90 days - 180 daysVAS scores are scaled from 0 to 100 millimeters (mm). Higher scores mean a worse outcome.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Variation of plasmatic levels of natriuretic peptidesbaseline - 30 days - 90 days - 180 daysLevels of the N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP)
Tissue fluid overloadbaseline - 30 days - 90 days - 180 daysVariation of plasmatic levels of antigen carbohydrate 125 (CA-125)
Body Composition Monitor (BCM) of Fresenius Medical Carebaseline - 30 days - 90 days - 180 daysVariation of fluid overload assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis
Inferior vena cava (IVC) diameterbaseline - 30 days - 90 days - 180 daysIVC diameter measured in its intra-hepatic portion at 2 cm of the junction with the hepatic veins using a longitudinal view from a sub-xiphoid position. IVC is dilated when its diameter is more than 20 mm.
Hepatic vein Dopplerbaseline - 30 days - 90 days - 180 daysPulsed wave Doppler shows a systolic (S) and diastolic (D) components. Normal pattern (S \> D), mildly abnormal pattern (S \< D) and severely abnormal pattern (S reverses)
Acute decompensated heart failure events180 daysNumber of Hospital admissions, emergency department visits or unscheduled medical appointments requiring intravenous diuretic treatment, and increase in diuretic dose or reintroduction of an oral diuretic.
Intra-renal venous Dopplerbaseline - 30 days - 90 days - 180 daysPulsed wave Doppler shows a normal pattern when flow is continuous. Mildly abnormal pattern shows a biphasic flow (S and D). Severely abnormal pattern shows a monophasic flow (D)
Ultrasound congestion parameters by Venous Excess Ultrasound (VExUS) protocolbaseline - 30 days - 90 days - 180 daysIVC diameter, hepatic vein Doppler, portal vein Doppler and intra-renal venous Doppler patterns are combined to report VExUS grades: * Grade 0 (no congestion): IVC \< 20 mm * Grade 1 (mild congestion): IVC ≥ 20 mm and any combination of normal or mildly abnormal pattern * Grade 2 (moderate congestion): IVC ≥ 20 mm + ≥ 1 severely abnormal pattern * Grado 4 (severe congestion): IVC ≥ 20 mm + ≥ 2 severely abnormal pattern
Congestion assessed by lung ultrasoundbaseline - 30 days - 90 days - 180 daysPleural effusion or pathological B lines. More than two B lines are considered as pathological.
Quality of life statusbaseline - 30 days - 90 days - 180 daysChange From Baseline in the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire 12 (KCCQ-12) score. KCCQ-12 scores are scaled from 0 to 100. Higher scores mean a better outcome.
6 minute walk testbaseline - 30 days - 90 days - 180 daysChange From Baseline in meters walked, as assessed by the 6 minute walk test
Portal vein Dopplerbaseline - 30 days - 90 days - 180 daysPulsed wave Doppler shows a continuous nonpulsatile flow. Using the pulsatility fraction (PF=100\*\[(Vmax - Vmin)/Vmax)\]) are three patterns: normal PF \< 30%, mildly abnormal PF 30-50% and severely abnormal PF \>50%.

Countries

Spain

Outcome results

None listed

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