Impact of diuretic treatment and sodium intake on plasma volume in patients with compensated systolic heart failure

Peter K Bonfils, Morten Damgaard, Mustafa Taskiran, Jens Peter Goetze, Peter Norsk, Niels Gadsbøll

36 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Aims In patients with heart failure (HF), the use of diuretics may be a double-edged sword that can alleviate symptoms of congestion, but also result in over-diuresis and intravascular volume depletion. The purpose of the present study was to examine plasma volume (PV) in HF patients receiving from 0 to 160 mg of furosemide and to investigate whether determination of plasma N-terminal fragment of pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) concentrations can predict PV-status. Methods and results Plasma volume, extracellular volume, glomerular filtration rate, NT-proBNP, and daily renal sodium excretion were measured in 18 patients with medically treated, compensated HF and in 27 healthy volunteers. Cardiac function was examined by non-invasive cardiac output determination and echocardiography. Exercise capacity was evaluated by 6 min walk test. There was a borderline significant difference in PV between patients with HF and control subjects (37.3 ± 6.0 and 40.2 ± 5.8 mL/kg, respectively, P = 0.092) with a significant tendency towards a contraction of PV with increasing use of diuretics (P = 0.031). There was no difference in extracellular volume between patients with HF and control subjects (P = 0.844). NT-proBNP plasma concentrations had no correlation to either sodium excretion (P = 0.193) or PV (P = 0.471) in patients with HF. ConclusionPlasma volume in patients with HF was within normal limits, but patients treated with high doses of loop-diuretics tended to have subnormal PV. Single measurement of NT-proBNP plasma concentration could not be used to estimate intravascular volume status in patients with HF.

Original languageEnglish
JournalEuropean Journal of Heart Failure
Volume12
Issue number9
Pages (from-to)995-1001
Number of pages7
ISSN1388-9842
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Sept 2010

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