Efficacy of Pulmonary Pressure Guided Therapy in Stable Outpatients With Advanced Heart Failure - A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial
SAINTS B is a randomized, controlled, clinical trial. Patients identified with advanced heart failure in SAINTS A who are unwilling or unable to undergo heart transplantation or left ventricular assist device implantation will be invited to participate in this study. Included patients will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to pharmacological HF treatment guided by an implanted wireless pulmonary artery hemodynamic monitor (CardioMEMS HF system) or usual care consisting of pharmacological HF treatment. Patients randomized into the CardioMEMS arm will be implanted within 30 (Cardiomems group only) days from randomization. After randomization, patients in both the CardioMEMS and the control arm will be seen at the outpatient clinic at Rigshospitalet after one and 6 months. At the final clinical follow-up visit at 6 months, participants will perform a 6 minute walk test (6MWT), cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET), fill out a quality of life questionnaire (Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ)) and blood samples will be drawn. Patients in the CardioMEMS arm will be managed according to previously published protocols for pulmonary artery pressure optimization (generally mean pulmonary pressure 10-25 mmHg) (Ref 1).
• Included in SAINTS A and fulfilling criteria for advanced HF (i.e., meeting primary endpoint for SAINTS A), although with a lower NT-proBNP cut-off level at ≥ 1000 pg/ml, but not referred for HTx or LVAD due to contraindications or patient preference
• NYHA Functional class III
• Be willing and able to upload pulmonary artery pressure information and comply with the follow-up requirements