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DIGitoxin to Improve ouTcomes in patients with advanced chronic Heart Failure (DIGIT-HF): Baseline characteristics

Udo Bavendiek1, Nele Henrike Thomas2, Dominik Berliner1

  • 1Department of Cardiology and Angiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.

European Journal of Heart Failure
|May 19, 2025
PubMed

Insights

The DIGIT-HF trial enrolled patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) who had more severe symptoms and higher rates of device implants than those in recent trials. Pharmacotherapy use was similar across studies.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Clinical Trials
  • Heart Failure Research

Background:

  • The DIGIT-HF trial investigates digitoxin efficacy in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).
  • Understanding baseline patient characteristics is crucial for interpreting trial results and comparing them to existing literature.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present the baseline characteristics of patients in the DIGIT-HF trial.
  • To compare these characteristics with participants from recent HFrEF trials that reported improved outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • DIGIT-HF is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial.
  • Patients with symptomatic HFrEF (NYHA class II-IV, LVEF ≤30-40%) were enrolled.
  • Baseline demographics, clinical status, and medication/device use were analyzed.

Main Results:

  • The DIGIT-HF population (1212 patients) had a mean age of 66 years, 20% women, and mean LVEF of 29%.
  • Patients presented with more severe symptoms (NYHA class II-IV distribution: 30%, 66%, 4%) compared to recent HFrEF trials.
  • High rates of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) were observed, with 96% on beta-blockers and 95% on ACEi/ARBs/ARNIs.
  • Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) device implantation rates were notably higher (64% and 25%, respectively).

Conclusions:

  • Patients in DIGIT-HF exhibited a greater symptom burden and higher device utilization than those in comparator HFrEF trials.
  • Pharmacotherapy regimens were comparable to those in recent trials, suggesting a focus on device therapy in this cohort.
Abstract

Keywords:
Cardiac glycosidesDigitoxinHFrEFHeart failureRandomized clinical trial

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