( ompared with dobutamine-treatedpatient...)Drug for Treatment of Heart Failure Does Not Improve Survival,,Compared to More Widely-used Medication,Health

ompared with dobutamine-treated patients, levosimendan-treated patients were less likely to experience cardiac failure and more likely to experience atrial fibrillation, hypokalemia (abnormally low level of potassium in the circulating blood), and headache during the initial 31 days following study drug administration.

“In conclusion, the SURVIVE trial demonstrated no survival difference between levosimendan and dobutamine during long-term follow-up despite evidence for an early reduction of plasma B-type natriuretic peptide level [an amino acid level that correlates with both the severity of symptoms and the prognosis in congestive heart failure] for levosimendan. These findings may be related to the short duration of treatment in the trial, a selective effect of levosimendan in specific subgroups, or the lack of a true difference between the 2 drugs. Further studies are needed to distinguish between these possibilities,” the authors write.
(JAMA. 2007;297:1883-1891. Available pre-embargo to the media at www.jamamedia.org)

Editor's Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.

For More Information: Contact the JAMA/Archives Media Relations Department at 312/464-JAMA (5262) or email: mediarelations@jama-archives.org .

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