The treatment of non-digitalized congestive heart failure patients with a fixed-dose combination of furosemide and spironolactone.

Abstract

Seventeen non-digitalized congestive heart failure patients were treated with only the fixed-dose combinations of 20 mg furosemide and 50 mg spironolactone or 20 mg furosemide and 100 mg spironolactone, in a daily dose of 1 or 2 capsules, over a 4-week period. The selected patients had a severity rating ranging between Grades III and IV. Ten of these patients had a severe grade of dyspnoea. Assessments were made on the basis of the reduction in cardiac failure score, extent of reduction in oedema, and relief of dyspnoea. Safety variables measured included laboratory, echocardiographic and side-effect monitoring. By the end of the 4-week study period, significant reduction (46% to 51%) in cardiac score and complete relief of dyspnoea with no adverse effects on safety variables were recorded. These results indicate that it is possible to treat patients with congestive heart failure safely with the fixed-dose combination product without the concurrent use of digitalis.