Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2026
Lumped-Parameter and Finite Element Modeling of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction
Published on: February 13, 2021
Rationale and design: the VALsartan In Diastolic Dysfunction (VALIDD) Trial: evolving the management of diastolic
Rajesh Janardhanan1, William L Daley, Tasneem Z Naqvi
1Cardiovascular Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Insights
The VALIDD Trial investigates if valsartan, an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB), improves diastolic function in hypertensive patients. This study aims to provide data on ARB therapy for diastolic dysfunction.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pharmacology
- Clinical Trials
Background:
- Diastolic dysfunction affects 50% of hypertensive patients, increasing cardiovascular risk.
- Current guidelines lack specific therapies for diastolic dysfunction.
- The impact of angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) on diastolic function remains unevaluated in large studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess if valsartan, an ARB, improves intrinsic myocardial diastolic properties in hypertensive patients with diastolic dysfunction.
- To compare valsartan therapy against a placebo in improving diastolic function.
Main Methods:
- The VALIDD Trial is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
- Approximately 350 hypertensive patients with diastolic dysfunction were enrolled.
- The primary endpoint is the change in early diastolic lateral mitral annular relaxation velocity (e') measured by tissue Doppler imaging after 38 weeks.
Main Results:
- Data not yet available as the trial is ongoing.
- The study is designed to provide robust data on valsartan's effect on diastolic parameters.
Conclusions:
- The VALIDD Trial is expected to offer novel insights into ARB effects on diastolic dysfunction.
- Findings may guide therapeutic strategies for hypertension-related diastolic dysfunction.
Background:
Although 50% of hypertensive patients in the community are estimated to have diastolic dysfunction, there is no specific guideline for diastolic dysfunction therapy at present despite the condition's clear association with increased cardiovascular risk. Although the efficacy of angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) in hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy regression has been established, the effect of angiotensin II receptor blockade on intrinsic parameters of diastolic function has not been evaluated in large-scale studies.
Methods:
The VALIDD Trial is an investigator-initiated randomized, controlled, double-blind clinical trial on approximately 350 patients designed to explore whether antihypertensive therapy with the ARB valsartan, in addition to standard therapy, would improve intrinsic diastolic properties of the myocardium in patients with hypertension and evidence of diastolic dysfunction. The result of such therapy will be compared with placebo after 38 weeks of treatment. The primary efficacy variable is change in early diastolic lateral mitral annular relaxation velocity measured by tissue Doppler imaging on week 38.
Conclusions:
We expect the VALIDD Trial to provide novel insights into the specific effects of ARBs on diastolic dysfunction, as assessed by tissue Doppler imaging, in hypertensive patients. The trial may provide clinically useful data on whether such therapy can directly improve diastolic function in patients with hypertension.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Heart Failure V: Medical Management
01:26Heart Failure Drugs: Inhibitors of Renin-Angiotensin System
01:22Heart Failure Drugs: Diuretics
01:25Aortic Regurgitation III: Medical Management
01:30Antihypertensive Drugs: Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers
01:22Heart Failure VI: Adjunct Therapies