Ivabradine Improves Quality of Life in Subjects with Chronic Heart Failure Compared to Treatment with p-Blockers: Results of a Multicentric Observational APULIA Study

摘要

Objectives: Ivabradine (IVA), a selective If current inhibitor decreasing the heart rate (HR) in patients with sinus rhythm, has been added to the most recent European Guidelines on heart failure. This selective treatment reduces HR exclusively while fully preserving myocardial contractility and relaxation, atrioventricular conduction, and ventricular repolar-ization, as well as blood pressure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the improvement of quality of life (QOL) in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) treated with IVA versus two P-blockers (bisoprolol and carvedilol). Methods: We evaluated if a 1-month treatment with IVA (5 mg b.i.d.) or P-blockers (carvedilol 6.25 mg b.i.d. or bisoprolol 1.25 mg b.i.d.) improves the QOL (assessed by SF-36 questionnaire) in patients with CHF with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (<50%). SF-36 was tested in 221 CHF patients (mean age 64 ± 6 years) randomized into two groups (IVA group - 110 patients; p-blockers group -111 patients).