Effects of short-term oral digoxin on left ventricular diastolic filling in patients with ventricular dysfunction. An...

34 patients with ventricular dysfunction (18 in NYHA class II and 16 in NYHA class III heart failure) whose clinical status was stabilized by diuretics and systemic vasodilators, entered a randomized trial to compare the effects of short-term oral digoxin and active placebo on left ventricular diastolic function, non invasively evaluated by echo-Doppler transmitral left ventricular filling flow. At baseline patients were subdivided by reversal--the ratio of peak early (E) and late (A) transmitral filling velocities--E/A < 1 (group I) or normal--E/A > or = 1 (group II) echo-Doppler E/A ratio; group II exhibited a shorter deceleration time (125 +/- 20 ms vs 198 +/- 38 ms, p > 0.05) and isovolumic relaxation time (64 +/- 15 ms vs 93 +/- 10 ms; p < 0.05) as well as a higher peak E velocity (85 +/- 28 cm/s vs 54 +/- 20 cm/s; p < 0.05), ("restrictive" left ventricular filling pattern). After 4 weeks, no changes in all echo-Doppler parameters were noted in group I in response to either oral digoxin or active placebo. Clinical amelioration (defined as reduction by at least one functional class) was observed in 3 patients after digoxin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)