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Importance: Short-term infusions of single vasodilators, usually given in a fixed dose, have not improved outcomes in patients with acute heart failure (AHF)., Objective: To evaluate the effect of a strategy that emphasized early intensive and sustained vasodilation using individualized up-titrated doses of established vasodilators in patients with AHF., Design, Setting, and Participants: Randomized, open-label blinded-end-point trial enrolling 788 patients hospitalized for AHF with dyspnea, increased plasma concentrations of natriuretic peptides, systolic blood pressure of at least 100 mm Hg, and plan for treatment in a general ward in 10 tertiary and secondary hospitals in Switzerland, Bulgaria, Germany, Brazil, and Spain. Enrollment began in December 2007 and follow-up was completed in February 2019., Interventions: Patients were randomized 1:1 to a strategy of early intensive and sustained vasodilation throughout the hospitalization (n = 386) or usual care (n = 402). Early intensive and sustained vasodilation was a comprehensive pragmatic approach of maximal and sustained vasodilation combining individualized doses of sublingual and transdermal nitrates, low-dose oral hydralazine for 48 hours, and rapid up-titration of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, or sacubitril-valsartan., Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was a composite of all-cause mortality or rehospitalization for AHF at 180 days., Results: Among 788 patients randomized, 781 (99.1%; median age, 78 years; 36.9% women) completed the trial and were eligible for primary end point analysis. Follow-up at 180 days was completed for 779 patients (99.7%). The primary end point, a composite of all-cause mortality or rehospitalization for AHF at 180 days, occurred in 117 patients (30.6%) in the intervention group (including 55 deaths [14.4%]) and in 111 patients (27.8%) in the usual care group (including 61 deaths [15.3%]) (absolute difference for the primary end point, 2.8% [95% CI, -3.7% to 9.3%]; adjusted hazard ratio, 1.07 [95% CI, 0.83-1.39]; P = .59). The most common clinically significant adverse events with early intensive and sustained vasodilation vs usual care were hypokalemia (23% vs 25%), worsening renal function (21% vs 20%), headache (26% vs 10%), dizziness (15% vs 10%), and hypotension (8% vs 2%)., Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients with AHF, a strategy of early intensive and sustained vasodilation, compared with usual care, did not significantly improve a composite outcome of all-cause mortality and AHF rehospitalization at 180 days., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00512759.

Background: We desired to determine cardiac troponin (cTn) concentrations necessary to achieve a positive predictive value (PPV) of ≥75% for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) to justify immediate admission of patients to a monitored unit and, in general, early coronary angiography., Methods: In a prospective multicenter diagnostic study enrolling patients presenting to the emergency department with symptoms suggestive of AMI, final diagnoses were adjudicated by 2 independent cardiologists based on clinical information including cardiac imaging. cTn concentrations were measured using 5 different sensitive and high-sensitivity cTn (hs-cTn) assays in a blinded fashion at presentation and serially thereafter. The diagnostic end point was PPV for rule-in of AMI of initial cTn concentrations alone and in combination with early changes., Results: Among 3828 patients, 616 (16%) had an AMI. At presentation, 7% to 14% of patients had cTnT/I concentrations associated with a PPV of ≥75%. Adding absolute or relative changes did not significantly further increase the PPV. PPVs increased from 46.5% (95% CI, 43.6-49.4) for hs-cTnT at presentation >14 ng/L to 78.9% (95% CI, 74.7-82.5) for >52 ng/L ( P < 0.001), whereas PPVs in higher hs-cTnT strata remained largely unchanged [e.g., 82.4% (95% CI, 77.5-86.7) for >80 ng/L vs 83.9% (95% CI, 76.0-90.1) for >200 ng/L ( P = 0.72)]. The addition of early changes in hs-cTnT further increased the PPV up to 60 ng/L, but not for higher concentrations., Conclusions: Serial sampling does not seem necessary for predicting AMI and concurrent decision-making in about 10% of patients, as it only marginally increases the PPV for AMI and not in a statistically or clinically significant way., Clinicaltrialsgov Identifier: NCT00470587., (© 2018 American Association for Clinical Chemistry.)