A fixed-dose combination of furosemide and spironolactone in digitalized congestive heart failure patients

Twenty-three optimally digitalized patients with congestive heart failure completed a 4-week treatment period with a fixed-drug association of 20 mg furosemide plus 50 mg spironolactone. Eleven patients responded with a 75% decrease in cardiac failure score on a daily dose of 1 capsule of the combination. The remaining 12 patients were initiated on the same dose, but needed, at the end of the first 14 days, an additional capsule (making a daily total of 40 mg furosemide and 100 mg spironolactone) over the next 2 weeks. On this dose, the patients achieved an average reduction of 52% in their cardiac failure score. There were no treatment failures. Electrolyte abnormalities and side-effects were not observed. The combination product, in a daily dose of 1 or 2 capsules, was found useful and well tolerated in the management of congestive heart failure.