Digoxin Can Reduce Mortality And Hospitalization In Heart Failure, Northwestern Memorial Hospital

Main Category: Cardiovascular / Cardiology
Article Date: 13 Dec 2005 - 16:00 PDT

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Researchers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital have found that digoxin, the oldest and probably the least expensive drug for heart failure, reduces mortality and hospitalizations in all heart failure patients, including women. The study is published online by the European Heart Journal.

Digoxin is a cardiac glycoside extracted from the foxglove plant, digitalis. It is the oldest compound in cardiovascular medicine that continues to be used in contemporary clinical practice. Digoxin increases the strength and vigor of the heart muscle contractions. Digoxin fell out of favor with many cardiologists after a well-publicized study in the October 31, 2002 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine reported that women taking the widely prescribed drug were slightly more likely to die than women who did not take the drug.

Mihai Gheorghiade, MD, associate chief, Division of Cardiology, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and lead author on the new study says, "Digoxin costs only a few cents a day and may help thousands of patients. This study shows that digoxin can play an important role in reducing morbidity and mortality and in decreasing healthcare costs and its use should be expanded."

The trial was a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effects of digoxin on mortality and hospitalization in 7,788 ambulatory adults with chronic heart failure and normal sinus rhythm. Patients received four different daily doses of digoxin or matching placebo. Specifically, the study found that digoxin reduces mortality and hospitalizations in all heart failure patients, including those with preserved systolic function, and reduces heart failure hospitalizations, but has no effect on mortality or all-cause hospitalizations.

"In the developed nations, where diuretics and ACE-inhibitors are the most commonly used regimen for heart failure therapy, digoxin can play an important role in reducing morbidity and mortality and in decreasing healthcare costs. In the developing nations, where most heart failure patients do not have a left ventricular function evaluation and cannot afford ACE-inhibitors and beta-blockers, digoxin is the only available drug that can play a critical role in reducing mortality and morbidity," says the study.

About Northwestern Memorial Hospital

Northwestern Memorial Hospital is one of the USA's premier academic medical centers and is the primary teaching hospital of Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine.  Northwestern Memorial and its Prentice Women's Hospital and Stone Institute of Psychiatry have 744 beds and more than 1,200 affiliated physicians and 5,000 employees.  Providing state-of-the-art care, Northwestern Memorial is recognized for its outstanding clinical and surgical advancements in such areas as cardiothoracic and vascular care, gastroenterology, neurology and neurosurgery, oncology, organ and bone marrow transplantation, and women's health.

  Northwestern Memorial received the prestigious 2005 National Quality Health Care Award and is listed in eight specialties in this year's US News & World Report's issue of "America's Best Hospitals."  The hospital is also cited as one of the "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" by Working Mother magazine for the past 5 years and has been chosen by Chicagoans for a decade as their "most preferred hospital" in National Research Corporation's annual survey.

Northwestern Memorial Hospital
240 East Ontario St., Suite 450
Chicago, Illinois 60611

If you want to learn more about Northwestern Memorial Hospital,please visit our website at www.nmh.org

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