Effects of carvedilol in heart failure due to dilated cardiomyopathy. Results of a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled study (CARIBE study)

• Autor(a) principal: Chizzola,Paulo Roberto
• Data de Publicação: 2000
• Outros Autores: Freitas,Humberto Felício Gonçalves, Caldas,Márcia Azevedo, Costa,Joicely Melo da, Meneghetti,Cláudio, Marinho,Norma Vasconcelos Saldanha, Mansur,Alfredo José, Ramires,José Antonio Franchini, Bocchi,Edimar Alcides
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia (Online)
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0066-782X2000000300005
• topic: heart failure; beta-blocker; dilated cardiomyopathy

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of carvedilol in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. METHODS: In a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled study, 30 patients (7 women) with functional class II and III heart failure were assessed. Their ages ranged from 28 to 66 years (mean of 43±9 years), and their left ventricular ejection fraction varied from 8% to 35%. Carvedilol was added to the usual therapy of 20 patients; placebo was added to the usual therapy of 10 patients. The initial dose of carvedilol was 12.5 mg, which was increased weekly until it reached 75 mg/day, according to the patient's tolerance. Clinical assessment, electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, and radionuclide ventriculography were performed in the pretreatment phase, being repeated after 2 and 6 months of medication use. RESULTS: A reduction in heart rate (p=0.016) as well as an increase in left ventricular shortening fraction (p=0.02) and in left ventricular ejection fraction (p=0.017) occurred in the group using carvedilol as compared with that using placebo. CONCLUSION: Carvedilol added to the usual therapy for heart failure resulted in better heart function.