Perhexiline Therapy in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction Syndrome

Diastolic Heart Failure Clinical Trial

Official title: Randomised Double Blind Placebo Controlled Trial of Perhexiline in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction Syndrome (HFpEF)

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

Up to half of all patients with clinical features of heart failure are found to have normal heart pumping function. Recently the investigators have shown that a drug called perhexiline markedly improved exercise capacity and symptoms in patients with heart failure associated with impaired cardiac pump function. In this proposal the investigators will assess whether perhexiline has beneficial effects in patients with heart failure and a normal heart pumping function.

Clinical Trial Description

Up to 50% of patients with symptoms of heart failure have a preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (HFpEF syndrome). Current therapy for systolic heart failure is targeted at inducing vasodilation and counteracting neuro-endocrine activation. There is a lack of a corresponding evidence base for the treatment of HEpEF. We have previously shown that perhexiline, an agent that increases the efficiency of energy production by shifting substrate utilization from free fatty acids towards glucose, was highly effective in improving exercise capacity, symptoms and cardiac function in patients with systolic heart failure. We have also recently shown that energy deficiency plays a major role in the pathophysiology of HFpEF. In this proposal we therefore aim to investigate the effectiveness of perhexiline in 70 HFpEF patients, in a 3 month randomised, double-blind, controlled trial. An interim analysis is planned after 20 patients. ;

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Double Blind (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator), Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Diastolic Heart Failure
• Heart Failure
• Heart Failure, Diastolic

• NCT number: NCT00839228
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: University of Aberdeen
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 2
• Start date: March 2009
• Completion date: February 2014