Premium
Serum erythropoietin in heart failure patients treated with ACE‐inhibitors or AT 1 antagonists
Author(s) -
Chatterjee Bidisha,
Nydegger Urs E.,
Mohacsi Paul
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
european journal of heart failure
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.149
H-Index - 133
eISSN - 1879-0844
pISSN - 1388-9842
DOI - 10.1016/s1388-9842(00)00110-0
Subject(s) - medicine , erythropoietin , heart failure , concomitant , statistical significance , angiotensin converting enzyme , prospective cohort study , ace inhibitor , endocrinology , gastroenterology , blood pressure
Background Erythropoietin (Epo), a growth factor produced by the kidney, is important in heart failure patients to promote oxygen delivery to tissues. Seventy‐two chronic heart failure (CHF) patients at our outpatient clinic were subjected to morning serum Epo‐level measurements and classified according to NYHA criteria. Results Forty‐eight patients of classes III and IV had a significantly elevated serum Epo‐level of 42.9±40.3 mIU/ml (mean±1 S.D.) when compared to the mean level of 24 patients of classes I and II who had a normal range mean value of 13.4±6.2 mIU/ml ( P <0.05). Patients on angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors showed a trend towards lower serum Epo‐levels compared to patients treated with angiotensin‐II type‐1 receptor antagonists (AT 1 antagonists) (levels: 33.3±35.6 mIU/ml and 43.6±38.1 mIU/ml). This trend did not, however, reach statistical significance ( P =0.36). Conclusion We suggest that a desirable Epo increase in class III and IV CHF patients could be achieved by either recombinant human Epo administration or, possibly, by appropriate selection of the concomitant medical therapy. A large prospective study shall investigate the possible advantage of AT 1 antagonists over ACE‐inhibitors with regard to Epo effect.