Ventricular ectopic burden during exercise in recovered DCM patients
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Ventricular ectopic burden during exercise: An evaluation of the effects of medication withdrawal in recovered dilated cardiomyopathy patients.
IRAS ID
259199
Contact name
Patrik Pettersson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Royal Brompton Hospital
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 3 months, 31 days
Research summary
Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a disease of the heart muscle that affects up to 1 in every 250 individuals. It can develop at any age, in both men and women. In people with DCM, the chambers of the heart become enlarged and weakened so that they can no longer pump blood effectively to the rest of the body. It can lead to heart failure or sudden cardiac death. With appropriate treatment, heart function recovers in around one third of patients and symptoms frequently resolve.
The initial results of the TRED-HF demonstrated that 40% of patients with a prior diagnosis of DCM who subsequently had recovery in heart function, relapsed after gradual withdrawal of heart failure therapy. This suggests that for many patients, recovery in heart function represents remission rather than sustained recovery.
This study will look at additional effects of stopping medication in patients with recovered DCM. In particular, it will look at whether patients who stop taking medication experience more abnormal heart rhythms when they exercise. It will also investigate whether there is a correlation between abnormal heart rhythms and three other measures:
1. The strength of the main pumping chamber - the left ventricular ejection fraction
2. A marker of heart failure found in the blood - natriuetic peptides
3. Exercise capacity - measured using cardiopulmonary exercise testing
This will give further insights into the effects of stopping medications in these patients.REC name
West Midlands - Solihull Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/WM/0095
Date of REC Opinion
16 Apr 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion