title: Comparative study of therapeutic effects of short- and long-acting loop diuretics in outpatients with chronic heart failure (COLD-CHF).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Loop diuretics have two different classes with different duration of activity: short-acting such as furosemide (duration of activity, 6h) and long-acting such as azosemide (duration of activity, 10-12h). We conducted a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial in order to compare the therapeutic effects of azosemide, a long-acting loop diuretic, and furosemide, a short-acting one, on neurohumoral factors and cardiac function in outpatients with chronic heart failure (CHF).
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 98 patients with CHF who were receiving furosemide and an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, and they were randomly divided into furosemide (n=49) and azosemide (n=49) groups. The furosemide group continued furosemide at the same dosage, and the azosemide group switched from furosemide to azosemide. At baseline and after 3 months, we measured body weight, and levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), norepinephrine, active renin, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, sodium, potassium, and hematocrit. Chest X-ray and echocardiography were also performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Body weight and plasma levels of BNP and ANP significantly decreased after 3 months in the azosemide group compared to the furosemide group. There were no significant differences in changes of levels of creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, sodium, potassium, hematocrit, norepinephrine, and active renin after 3 months between the furosemide and azosemide groups. Echocardiography and chest X-ray did not demonstrate significant differences between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-acting azosemide is suggested to be useful for the improvement of neurohumoral factors compared with short-acting furosemide in patients with CHF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory and Metabolic Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyata
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: Takuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shinsato
authors.forename: Takuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kubozono
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Furusho
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kusumoto
authors.forename: Shuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hamasaki
authors.forename: Chuwa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tei
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D005665:Furosemide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006334:Heart Function Tests; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood; D010045:Outpatients; D049994:Sodium Potassium Chloride Symporter Inhibitors / Q000145:classification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013424:Sulfanilamides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013777:Tetrazoles; D013876:Thiophenes; D000096926:Benzenesulfonamides
chemical_list: D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor; D015415:Biomarkers; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D005665:Furosemide; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D049994:Sodium Potassium Chloride Symporter Inhibitors; D013424:Sulfanilamides; C018222:azosemide; D013777:Tetrazoles; D013876:Thiophenes; D000096926:Benzenesulfonamides