The Inorganic Nitrate and eXercise Performance in Heart Failure (iNIX-HF) -a Phase II Clinical Trial
The goals of this project are to determine the effectiveness of acute (2 hours after a single dose) and chronic (after 6 weeks of once-a-day dosing) KNO3 treatment (10mmol) vs. placebo on quadriceps muscle power and on aerobic exercise performance (V̇O2peak) in patients with HFrEF (left ventricular ejection fraction \<45%). The investigators hypothesize that both acute and chronic dosing of 10mmol of KNO3 will improve exercise performance in HFrEF. To test this hypothesis, the investors will perform a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-arm design study.
• Diagnosis of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction; New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class II-III; Ejection fraction less than 45% as determined on an imaging study within 3 months of enrollment.
• Stable medical therapy, defined by no addition or removal (or change of more than 100 percent) of the following: beta-adrenergic blockade and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB or aldosterone antagonists) or ARNI (ARB + sacubitril) for 60 days.