title: Clinical trials update from the American College of Cardiology: Darbepoetin alfa, ASTEROID, UNIVERSE, paediatric carvedilol, UNLOAD and ICELAND.
abstract: This article provides information and a commentary on trials relevant to the pathophysiology, prevention and treatment of heart failure, presented at the American College of Cardiology 55th Annual Scientific Session held in March 2006. All reports should be considered as preliminary data, as analyses may change in the final publication. Darbepoetin alfa increased haemoglobin levels in heart failure patients and improved some aspects of quality of life compared to placebo. In the ASTEROID study rosuvastatin significantly reduced LDL-cholesterol levels and induced regression of atherosclerosis in patients with CAD. Rosuvastatin also produced a significant reduction in LDL-cholesterol levels in heart failure patients in the UNIVERSE study, but had no effect on left ventricular remodelling compared to placebo. The paediatric carvedilol study failed to show a benefit of carvedilol in children with heart failure. Ultrafiltration produced a greater weight and fluid loss than intravenous diuretics in heart failure patients with volume overload in the UNLOAD study but did not exert a greater improvement in breathlessness; however, ultrafiltration did reduce readmission rates. The ICELAND MI study showed that CMR imaging was more sensitive than ECG or clinical criteria for detecting myocardial infarction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, University of Hull, Castle Hill Hospital, Cottingham, Kingston-upon-Hull, HU15 5JQ, UK.
authors.forename: John G F
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Cleland
authors.forename: Alison P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Coletta
authors.forename: Nikolay P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Nikitin
authors.forename: Andrew L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Clark
mesh_terms: D002227:Carbazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077261:Carvedilol; D002648:Child; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D000068256:Darbepoetin alfa; D004232:Diuretics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005464:Fluorobenzenes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011412:Propanolamines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014462:Ultrafiltration
chemical_list: D002227:Carbazoles; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D004232:Diuretics; D005464:Fluorobenzenes; D011412:Propanolamines; D011743:Pyrimidines; D013449:Sulfonamides; D000077261:Carvedilol; D004921:Erythropoietin; D000068256:Darbepoetin alfa; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium