Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT06092437

Investigating a Tailored Diuretic Algorithm in Acute Heart Failure Patients

Acutely decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is highly prevalent and has a high (financial) burden on the health care system. Treatment often consists of the administration of IV decongestive agents. Adequate dosing is difficult due to varying diuretic resistance and inadequate parameters to evaluate the response. Urine sodium is a promising biomarker to evaluate the diuretic response. It is hypothesized that a tailored, urine sodium guided diuretic algorithm will result in faster and more complete decongestion and therefore lead to better survival (in terms of mortality and heart failure events) while being non-inferior in terms of safety (mainly regression of kidney function).

Recruiting

Interested in participating?

Request Info

Key information

Conditions

Heart Failure Acute Cardiovascular Diseases Heart Diseases Heart Failure

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Zuyderland MC, Heerlen, Limburg, Netherlands

Loading trial locations.

About this study

Rationale: Acutely decompensated heart failure is a highly prevalent diagnosis with a high burden on resources and a high risk of mortality and re-hospitalization. The prescription of diuretics to relieve congestion has been the cornerstone of treatment for years, but evidence about diuretic response and adequate dosing is still lacking. Inadequate diuretic response (and insufficient decongestion) has a negative influence on outcome but is often not timely addressed. Urinary sodium (Ur-Na) is a promising biomarker in the prediction of diuretic response to the prescribed dose. It is hypothesized that an Ur-Na based, intensified algorithm can help tailor diuretics in an individual way, but sufficient evidence to support its implementation is lacking.

Objective: Investigate if a tailored diuretic algorithm based on Ur-Na has a positive effect on a primary endpoint of reduction in a combined endpoint of death, heart failure events and change in the Kansas City questionnaire total symptom score (KCCQ-TSS) versus standard clinical care in patients hospitalized with AHF, without imposing safety concerns (e.g. worsening renal function).

Study design: Prospective, Single-Blinded, Randomized, Blinded-endpoint trial

Study population: Patients admitted with acutely decompensated heart failure (diagnosed according to the 2021 ESC (European Society of Cardiology) guidelines) who are 18 year or older.

Intervention: Arm I: Tailored, Ur-Na based, intensified diuretic strategy; Arm II: Usual care

Main study parameters/endpoints: Hierarchical composite endpoint of all-cause death, heart failure events and a 4-point or greater difference in Kansas City questionnaire total symptom score (KCCQ-TSS); assessed using a win-ratio approach.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Age > 18 years;
  • HF (HFrEF, HFmrEF or HFpEF) diagnosed according to the 2021 HF Guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology [5];
  • Presentation with AHF meaning at least one symptom (dyspnea, orthopnea, or edema) and one sign (rales, peripheral edema, ascites, or pulmonary vascular congestion on chest radiography) of AHF;
  • An elevated NT-proBNP >300pg/ml;
  • Requiring the need for iv diuretics.

Exclusion criteria

  • Terminal renal insufficiency defined as: dialysis patients or eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) < 10 mL/min/1.73 m2;
  • Patients included in other investigational studies regarding heart failure.
  • Presentation with cardiogenic shock or respiratory insufficiency or another reason requiring admission to the intensive care unit upon admission (IC transfer later in the hospitalization is not an exclusion).

Treatment and study plan

Urine sodium guided diuretic algorithm

Other

Loop diuretics are administered intravenously as soon as possible after diagnosis of ADHF and continued 3dd until recompensation. Spot urine sodium is measured 2 hours after administration of the first in-hospital IV diuretic dose and repeated until the target of 100mmol/L is reached in the first 72 hours of admission (after which, UrNa will be measured once daily). When target is not met, the next dosage of loop diuretic is doubled (max 3dd 250mg furosemide) and thereafter, other diuretics (thiazide, MRA) are added. Acetazolamide in the first 72 hours is advised as background therapy in both treatment arms.

Usual Care

Other

Treatment with IV loop diuretics left to the discretion of the treating physician. Acetazolamide in the first 72 hours is advised as background therapy in both treatment arms.

Primary outcomes

  1. Hierarchical composite of all-cause mortality, heart failure events and delta quality of life at 90 days follow-up.

    Time frame: 90 days after inclusion

    The primary endpoint is a hierarchical composite calculated using a win-ratio approach of:

    i) Mortality (all-cause) at 90 days after hospitalization; ii) Heart failure events at 90 days after hospitalization (1. a >2 times increase in oral loop diuretic dose, 2. the need for iv administration of loop diuretics, 3. an emergency department visit or hospitalization for HF), wherein a single event or hospitalization will be sufficient to reach the combined endpoint; iii) Delta in quality of life measured using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire total symptom score (KCCQ-TSS) from baseline to 90 days after hospitalization

Secondary outcomes

  1. Delta NT-pro BNP

    Time frame: From admission to discharge and 90 days after hospitalisation

    Delta NT-proBNP from admission to discharge and 90-days follow up

  2. Successful decongestion

    Time frame: Day 3 after inclusion

    Number of participants with successful decongestion (defined as a clinical congestion score of 2 or less and NYHA I-II)

  3. Change in clinical congestion score

    Time frame: From date of randomization until date of hospital discharge (regarding initial hospitalisation at time of randomisation, assessed up to 90 days),

    Change in clinical congestion score from admission to discharge

  4. Quality of life (Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire)

    Time frame: 90 days after inclusion

    Quality of life assessed using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire

  5. Adverse (safety) events

    Time frame: 90 days after inclusion

    All-cause readmissions at 90-days, all-cause and cardiovascular mortality at 90-days, (symptomatic) hypotension, hypokalemia, urinary tract infection, phlebitis, atrial fibrillation, fall/trauma and decompensated HF

  6. All-cause mortality and heart failure readmissions

    Time frame: 14 days after inclusion

    All-cause mortality and heart failure readmissions at 14 days follow up

  7. All-cause mortality and heart failure readmissions

    Time frame: 6 months after inclusion

    All-cause mortality and heart failure readmissions at 6 months follow up

  8. Chronic dialysis

    Time frame: 90 days after inclusion

    Occurence of the need for chronic dialysis at 90-days follow up

  9. Days alive outside the hospital

    Time frame: 90 days after inclusion

    Days alive outside the hospital at 90-days follow up

  10. Time to first heart failure hospitalization and number of heart failure hospitalizations

    Time frame: 90 days after inclusion

    Time to first heart failure hospitalization and number of heart failure hospitalizations

  11. Number of outpatient visits

    Time frame: 90 days after inclusion

    Number of outpatient visits in the first 90 days

  12. Number of worsening heart failure events

    Time frame: 90 days after inclusion

    Number of worsening heart failure events at 90 days:

    i) a >2 times increase in oral loop diuretic dose, ii) the need for iv administration of loop diuretics, iii) an emergency department visit or hospitalization for HF

  13. Delta weight

    Time frame: From date of randomization until date of hospital discharge (regarding initial hospitalisation at time of randomisation, assessed up to 90 days)

    Delta weight (in kilograms) from admission to discharge

  14. Hospital length of stay

    Time frame: Number of days from hospitalization untill end of clinical treatment (not including days waiting for post-hospital care) or hospital discharge, whichever came first, assessed up to 90 days after randomization.

    Number of days from hospitalization untill discharge or end of clinical treatment (not including days waiting for post-hospital care)

  15. Worsening renal function

    Time frame: Baseline until 90 days follow-up

    Delta creatinine from baseline until discharge and 90 days follow-up

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Mick Hoen, MD

CONTACT

[email protected]

088 - 459 9701

Sandra van Wijk, MD, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

088 - 459 9701

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Zuyderland Medisch Centrum

Other

Registry information

Official study title

TAILOR-AHF: Randomized Trial Investigating a Tailored Diuretic Algorithm in Acute Heart Failure Patients

Acronym: TAILOR-AHF

Important dates

Study start
2023
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Oct 23, 2023
Registry last updated
Apr 13, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.