title: End-point selection for acute heart failure trials.
abstract: The appropriate selection of response variables for clinical trials of new therapies for acute heart failure (AHF) is a complex process with major trade-offs. For one therapeutic approach to be considered superior to another, it must produce clinically significant improvements in making patients live longer, making patients feel better, or saving resources without adversely affecting these two goals. This review outlines factors that complicate AHF end-point selection, discusses a variety of end points used in recently completed and ongoing AHF studies, and suggests directions for future design and standardization of end points across AHF trials.
authors.affiliation: Colorado Cardiovascular Outcomes Research Consortium and the Section of Advanced Heart Failure, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, 12631 East 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045, USA. larry.allen@ucdenver.edu
authors.forename: Larry A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Allen
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D018579:Patient Selection; D012720:Severity of Illness Index