Sildenafil in HFpEF (Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction) and PH

Rationale: Treatment of diastolic left heart failure is a challenging task. Compared to systolic left heart failure the level of evidence for known medical treatment regiments is low. Sildenafil, a phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE 5) inhibitor and effective therapy for pulmonary arterial hypertension acts as a selective pulmonary vasodilator by inhibiting the impaired nitric oxide (NO) pathway. Reducing the pulmonary vascular resistance would be the primary target by treatment of diastolic left heart failure with PH. But clinical and hemodynamical studies to evaluate the role of Sildenafil in diastolic heart failure, also called heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) with secondary pulmonary hypertension are lacking. Our hypothesis is that Sildenafil decreases pulmonary artery pressure in patients with HFpEF and pulmonary hypertension.

Objective: To investigate whether Sildenafil treatment results in a hemodynamic improvement and in an improvement of exercise capacity in these patients.

Study design: single-center, prospective, randomized, placebo controlled study. Study population: 52 patients with HFpEF and PH Intervention : One group receives three times daily 20 mg Sildenafil for 2 weeks followed by three times daily 60 mg Sildenafil for 10 weeks. The other group receives three times daily 20 mg of Placebo, followed by 3 times daily 60 mg placebo.

Main study parameters/endpoints:

Primary objectives

• To investigate whether Sildenafil treatment results in a reduction of pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) in HFpEF patients with PH (investigated invasively by right heart catheterization) .

Secondary objectives

• To investigate whether Sildenafil treatment results in an reduction of wedge pressure in HFpEF patients.
• To investigate whether Sildenafil treatment results in an improvenemt of cardiac output (CO) in HFpEF patients.
• To investigate whether Sildenafil treatment results in improvement of exercise capacity in these patients ( defined as change in VO2max)

Inclusion criteria

• >18 years
• Written inform consent
• PH secondary to diastolic left heart failure defined as
• PAP mean >25 mmHg
• Wedge mean >15 mmHg
• Normal systolic left ventricular (LV) function on echo/nuclear imaging (left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) > or =45%)
• New York Heart Association class (NYHA) II-IV despite heart failure therapy

Exclusion criteria

• Severe noncardiac limitation to exercise (as severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
• Other cause of PH besides diastolic heart failure
• Coronary ischemia or recent myocardial infarction (<6 months)
• Hypotension ( <90/50 mmHg)
• Ongoing nitrate therapy
• Ongoing therapy with citochrome P450 3A4 ( CYP3A4) inhibitors (ketoconazole, erythromycin, cimetidine, clarithromycin, itraconazole, voriconazole and protease inhibitors) or CYP3A4 inductors(carbamacepine, phenytoin, phenobarbital, rifampicin, Sint Janskruid ). Furthermore patients will be informed not to drink grapefruit juice while on study medication because of the known impact of grape fruit on pharmacokinetics of Sildenafil.
• Ongoing therapy with alpha -inhibitors
• Significant mitral or aortic valve dysfunction
• Severe liver dysfunction
• Pregnancy
• Unable to read and comprehend Dutch language