Acute Effects of Oral Ketone Ester on Cardiac Function in Patients With COVID-19

Based on Chinese studies, cardiac injury occurs in 20-30% of hospitalized patients and contributes to 40% of deaths. There are many possible mechanisms of cardiac injury in COVID-19 patients and increased myocardial oxygen demand and decreased myocardial oxygen supply are likely contributors to increased risk of myocardial infarction and heart failure. Interventions reducing the risk of cardiac injury are needed.

Ketone bodies, such as 3-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate, can maintain ATP production in the heart and brain during starvation. It has been suggested that ketone bodies are more efficient substrates of energy metabolism than glucose, with a lower oxygen consumption per ATP-molecule produced. In addition, the reduction in hospitalizations due to heart failure observed in type 2 diabetes patients treated with sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors, is suggested to be partly attributable to increased levels of 3-hydroxybutyrate. Infusion with 3-hydroxybutyrate reaching a plasma level of approximately 3 mM had acute beneficial hemodynamic effects in patients with heart failure and in healthy controls in a study by Nielsen et al. Improved haemodynamics and reduced systemic oxygen consumption might be of great benefit in patients with COVID-19.

The primary endpoint is left ventricular ejection fraction. Secondary endpoints are conventional echocardiography parameters, peripheral blood oxygen saturation, venous blood oxygen saturation and urine creatinine clearance.

The study population are twelve previously hospitalized patients with COVID-19

The study design is a randomized placebo-controlled double-blinded crossed-over acute intervention study.