Safety and efficacy of a novel calcium sensitizer, levosimendan, in patients with left ventricular failure due to an acute myocardial infarction: A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study (RUSSLAN)

V. S. Moiseyev, P. Põder, N. Andrejevs, M. Y. Ruda, A. P. Golikov, L. B. Lazebnik, Z. D. Kobalava, L. A. Lehtonen, T. Laine, Markku S. Nieminen, K. I. Lie

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Abstract

Aims: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of levosimendan in patients with left ventricular failure complicating acute myocardial infarction. Methods and Results: Levosimendan at different doses (0·1-0·4 μg . kg-1 . min-1) or placebo were administered intravenously for 6 h to 504 patients in a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind study. The primary end-point was hypotension or myocardial ischaemia of clinical significance adjudicated by an independent Safety Committee. Secondary end-points included risk of death and worsening heart failure, symptoms of heart failure and all-cause mortality. The incidence of ischaemia and/or hypotension was similar in all treatment groups (P=0·319). A higher frequency of ischaemia and/or hypotension was only seen in the highest levosimendan dose group. Levosimendan-treated patients experienced lower risk of death and worsening heart failure than patients receiving placebo, during both the 6h infusion (2·0% vs 5·9%; P=0·033) and over 24 h (4·0% vs 8·8%; P=0·044). Mortality was lower with levosimendan compared with placebo at 14 days (11·7% vs 19·6%; hazard ratio 0·56 [95% CI 0·33-0·951; P=0·031) and the reduction was maintained at the 180-day retrospective follow-up (22·6% vs 31·4%; 0·67 [0·45-1·00], P=0·053). Conclusions: Levosimendan at doses 0·1-0·2 μg . kg-1 . min-1 did not induce hypotension or ischaemia and reduced the risk of worsening heart failure and death in patients with left ventricular failure complicating acute myocardial infarction.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1422-1432
Number of pages11
JournalEuropean Heart Journal
Volume23
Issue number18
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2002
Externally publishedYes

Keywords*

  • Hypotension
  • Ischaemia
  • Left ventricular failure
  • Levosimendan
  • Mortality
  • Myocardial infarction

Field of Science*

  • 3.2 Clinical medicine

Publication Type*

  • 1.1. Scientific article indexed in Web of Science and/or Scopus database

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