Beneficial effects of pentoxifylline in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and carvedilol: Results of a randomized study

Abstract

Background - We previously reported beneficial effects of pentoxifylline, a xanthine-derived agent known to inhibit the production of tumor necrosis factor-α, in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy treated with diuretics, digoxin, and ACE inhibitors. Since then, 3 large clinical trials showed important clinical benefits of β-blockers in this population. Therefore, we designed the present study to establish whether in patients with heart failure already receiving treatment with ACE inhibitors and β-blockers, the addition of pentoxifylline would have an additive beneficial effect. Methods and Results - In a single-center, prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, 39 patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy were randomized to pentoxifylline 400 mg TID (n=20) or placebo (n=19) if they had a left ventricular ejection fraction <40% after 3 months of therapy with digoxin, ACE inhibitors, and carvedilol. Primary end points were New York Heart Association functional class, exercise tolerance, and left ventricular function. Patients were followed up for 6 months. Five patients died (3 in the placebo group). Patients treated with pentoxifylline had a significant improvement in functional class compared with the placebo group (P=0.01), with an increment in exercise time from 9.5±5 to 12.3±6 minutes (P=0.1). Left ventricular ejection fraction improved from 24±9% to 31±13%, P=0.03, in the treatment group. Conclusions - In patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, the addition of pentoxifylline to treatment with digoxin, ACE inhibitors, and carvedilol is associated with a significant improvement in symptoms and left ventricular function.