OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of the study was a change in left ventricular end-systolic volume index (LVESVi) from baseline to 6 months of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) therapy in the treatment arm compared to the control arm as measured by echocardiography. Secondary objectives were changes in peak oxygen uptake and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) between the treatment arm and control arm from baseline through 6 months. BACKGROUND: Abnormal neurohormonal activation is often responsible for progression of heart failure (HF). Treatment has often included drug therapy to modulate the neurohormonal axis. The purpose of the DEFEAT-HF (Determining the Feasibility of Spinal Cord Neuromodulation for the Treatment of Chronic Heart Failure) clinical study was to evaluate whether direct modulation of the nervous system through SCS improved HF metrics, including heart size, biomarkers, functional capacity, and symptoms. METHODS: The DEFEAT-HF study was a prospective, multicenter randomized (3:2), parallel, single-blind, controlled study to investigate whether SCS was a feasible therapy for the treatment of systolic HF for patients with New York Heart Association functional class III HF, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤35%, QRS duration <120 ms, and left ventricular end-diastolic dimension ≥55 mm. The primary objective of the DEFEAT-HF study was to evaluate the reduction in LVESVi after 6 months of SCS therapy in the treatment arm compared to the control arm. RESULTS: In total, 81 patients were enrolled, with 66 successfully randomized and implanted with the SCS device system. Seventy-six percent (50 of 66) had an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator at the baseline visit. Among randomized patients, the mean age was 61 years, 79% were male, mean LVEF was 27%, and mean QRS duration was 105 ms. The change in LVESVi over 6 months was not significantly different between randomization arms (SCS OFF: -2.2 [95% confidence interval: -9.1 to 4.6] vs. SCS ON: 2.1 [95% confidence interval: -2.7 to 6.9]; p = 0.30). Analyses of secondary endpoints for the study were also not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: The present study does not provide evidence to support a meaningful change in clinical outcomes for HF patients receiving SCS. (Determining the Feasibility of Spinal Cord Neuromodulation for the Treatment of Chronic Heart Failure [DEFEAT-HF]; NCT01112579).

Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin Berlin Germany

Fletcher Allen Healthcare Burlington Vermont

Indiana University School of Medicine Indianapolis Indiana

Karolinska University Hospital Stockholm Sweden

Medtronic Minneapolis Minnesota

Na Homolce Hospital Prague Czech Republic

Sahlgrenska University Hospital Göteborg Sweden

St Mary's Medical Center Huntington West Virginia

Universitair Medisch Centrum Groningen and University of Groningen Groningen the Netherlands

Washington University School of Medicine St Louis Missouri

Int J Cardiol. 2015 Jul 15;191:271-2. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2015.04.267. PubMed

JACC Heart Fail. 2016 Feb;4(2):137-139. doi: 10.1016/j.jchf.2015.11.007. PubMed

Nat Rev Cardiol. 2016 Mar;13(3):127-8. doi: 10.1038/nrcardio.2016.8. PubMed

JACC Heart Fail. 2018 Jun;6(6):542. doi: 10.1016/j.jchf.2018.05.001. PubMed

References provided by Crossref.org

Acute Severe Heart Failure Reduces Heart Rate Variability: An Experimental Study in a Porcine Model

Acute effect of spinal cord stimulation on autonomic nervous system function in patients with heart failure

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NCT01112579