Furosemide withdrawal in elderly heart failure patients with preserved left ventricular systolic function

To explore the possibilities of furosemide withdrawal in elderly heart failure (HF) patients with intact left ventricular (LV) systolic function and assess its effects on functional status and orthostatic blood pressure homeostasis, we performed a placebo-controlled pilot trial of furosemide withdrawal with 3 months of follow-up in 32 HF patients (aged 75.1 +/- 0.7 years [mean +/- SEM]) with a LV ejection fraction of 60 +/- 2% and without overt congestion. Investigations included repeated clinical assessment, spirometry, standardized 6-minute walking test, and chest x-rays. Measurements of blood pressure response on active standing and Doppler echocardiography were performed before and 3 months after furosemide withdrawal. Recurrent congestive HF occurred in 2 of 21 patients (10%) who discontinued furosemide use, and in 1 of 11 patients (9%) who continued furosemide (p = NS). Three patients restarted furosemide for ankle edema and 1 for blood pressure levels >180/100 mm Hg. After 3 months, there were no differences regarding HF symptom scores, blood pressure, heart rate, spirometric results, 6-minute walking distance, or quality of life scores between patients who discontinued use and patients who continued the therapy. In patients successfully withdrawn, Doppler E/A ratio increased from 0.68 +/- 0.05 to 0.79 +/- 0.06 after withdrawal (p <0.01), and maximum blood pressure decrease on active standing changed from -8 +/- 5 mm Hg to +5 +/- 3 mm Hg systolic (p <0.05). Thus, in this pilot investigation of furosemide withdrawal in elderly HF patients without overt congestion and with a normal LV systolic function, withdrawal was successful in almost all patients and was associated with improvement of LV diastolic filling and blood pressure homeostasis on active standing.