UNLOAD Study
ULTRAFILTRATION’S IMMEDIATE
AND LONG-TERM BENEFITS DEMONSTRATED IN HEART FAILURE PATIENTS
There is good news for the 3.1 million people
hospitalized each year in the United States with fluid overload
due to heart failure. Findings from the landmark UNLOAD
study detail immediate and long-term benefits for heart failure
patients receiving a unique form of ultrafiltration therapy to treat
fluid overload.
The UNLOAD study as well as an accompanying editorial
have been published in the February 13th 2007 edition of the Journal
of the American College of Cardiology (Costanzo MR et al. JACC 2007;
49(6):675-683).
For a complete review
of the UNLOAD study, its results, and to request reprints of the
editorial and study as well as powerpoint slides, visit www.unloadstudy.com.
To listen and view
the JACC Journal Club interview with the principal investigator
of UNLOAD, click
here.
Some highlights of the UNLOAD study include:
At 48 hours into treatment, the ultrafiltration group
demonstrated a:
- 38 % greater weight loss over standard care
- 28 % greater net fluid loss over standard care
- Equal improvement in dyspnea score (breathing)
At 90 days following hospital discharge, the ultrafiltration
group demonstrated a:
- 43% reduction in patients requiring re-hospitalizations for
heart failure over standard care
- 50% reduction in the total number of re-hospitalizations for
heart failure over standard care
- 52% reduction in emergency department or clinic visits over
standard care
- 63% total reduction in days re-hospitalized for heart failure
over standard care
Click on any of the following
to learn more:
The complete multimedia UNLOAD Late
Breaking Clinical Trial presentation as part of the 2006 American
College of Cardiology (ACC) 55th Scientific Session Conference is
available online. Click here
to go to the ACC website and view it in its entirety. It's the 3rd
one down under Lectures and entitled, "Ultrafiltration Versus
Intravenous Diuretics for Patients Hospitalized for Acute Decompensated
Heart Failure (UNLOAD)"
Why Are the UNLOAD Results Important?
UNLOAD is the first randomized clinical study of its type to
compare the safety and efficacy of a non-drug-based option with
standard intravenous diuretic drug therapy to treat heart failure
patients.
Fluid overload can be caused by many things, including problems
with the heart, kidneys, lungs or a combination of any of these
vital organs. Fluid overload can also be experienced after certain
surgical operations. The leading cause of fluid overload is congestive
heart failure (CHF), sometimes referred to as just heart failure
(HF).
In heart failure patients, an inefficient heart
can lead to the buildup of excess sodium and water which accumulates
in the lungs, liver and extremities, causing shortness of breath,
decreased function of vital organs and swelling of the extremities,
e.g. legs.
Heart failure, as a primary and secondary condition, affects approximately
five million Americans and is responsible for over 3.1
million annual hospitalizations or 11% of all hospital admissions
each year. This surpasses the number of hospitalizations due
to all forms of cancer and heart attacks combined! More than 500,000
new cases of heart failure are diagnosed each year. The estimated
economic burden of heart failure care is in excess of $28 billion
in the United States. Due to prolonged hospitalizations and high
readmission rates, many hospitals often lose more than $1,000
for each heart failure admission.
What does UNLOAD stand for?
UltrafiltratioN
versus IV Diuretics fOr Patients HospitaLized for
Acute Decompensated Congestive
Heart Failure |
