An Update on the Role of Digoxin in Older Adults with Chronic Heart Failure

Ali Ahmed, MD, MPH, FACC, FAHA, FESC

Disclosures

Geriatrics and Aging. 2008;11(1):37-41. 

In This Article

The Digitalis Investigation Group Trial

In the Digitalis Investigation Group trial, 7,788 individuals with chronic HF were randomly assigned to receive digoxin or placebo.[23] Most of these persons were already receiving an ACEI and a diuretic. Of the 7,788 participants, 6,800 had systolic HF and were enrolled in the main trial and followed up for a median of 37 months. Digoxin had no effect on mortality among those with systolic HF (relative risk [RR] 0.99, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.91-1.07) but reduced hospitalization resulting from worsening HF (RR 0.72, 95% CI 0.66-0.79).[23] Among individuals with diastolic HF enrolled in the ancillary trial, digoxin had similar effects: no influence on mortality (RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.76-1.28) but a reduction in hospitalization due to worsening HF (RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.59-1.04).[24] This latter association was not statistically significant, likely due to the small sample size in the DIG ancillary trial.

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