Clinical trial NCT06950320: Clinical Outcome of Electrical Transcutaneous Auricular Vagal Stimulation in Patients With Stable Symptomatic Chronic Heart Failure
Official title: Clinical Outcome of Electrical Auricular Vagal Stimulation in Patients With Stable Symptomatic Chronic Heart Failure
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Chronic Heart Failure
Keywords: auricular vagal stimulation
chronic heart failure
6-minute walking test
Lead sponsor: Medical University of Vienna
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2025-04-30
Enrollment: 13
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 85
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: This study aims to investigate whether electrical vagus nerve stimulation in the auricle has an impact on the clinical presentation of heart failure. The device used, P-STIM, is already successfully applied in pain therapy and angiology (peripheral arterial disease, PAD) and will also be tested against a placebo in this study.

In preliminary studies, acupuncture was shown to improve the 6-minute walking distance in heart failure patients (Kristen et al., 2010). The investigators assume that acupuncture and P-STIM have similar effects, and this study also aims to improve the 6-minute walking distance as its primary endpoint. Additional endpoints include LVEF (left ventricular ejection fraction), NYHA classification, inflammatory markers (e.g., CRP, pro-BNP), and patients' quality of life.

Study Design:

Patients will be randomly assigned to either the placebo or the verum group. They will receive treatment for five weeks (with the device being replaced weekly) and undergo a follow-up examination after four weeks.

At the beginning and during follow-up, Left ventricular ejection fraction (measured by cardiac ultrasound), inflammatory markers in the blood, NYHA classification, and quality of life (assessed by questionnaire) will be recorded. The primary endpoint, the 6-minute walking distance, will be measured at baseline, two weeks after the start of treatment, and at the follow-up examination.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Chronic heart failure
* NYHA Classification II-III
* Stable medication since at least 1 months
* LVEF \<40%
* Patients must be able to understand study conditions
* No exclusion criteria
* Signed informed consent 6.1.3 Exclusion criteria
* Any electrical auricular vagal stimulation treatment within 6 months prior to base line visit
* Participation in another clinical trial within 3 months prior to base line visit
* Ventricular tachyarrhythmia within 1 month prior to base line visit
* Psoriasis vulgaris
* Hemophilia
* Cardiac pace makers

Primary outcomes:
measure: 6-minutes walking distance test
timeFrame: before treatment randomization, study day 21, 35 days after randomization
Secondary outcomes:
measure: SF 36, quality of life
timeFrame: before treatment randomization, 35 days after treatment randomization
measure: adverse events
timeFrame: before treatment randomization, study day 21, 35 days after randomization
measure: blood concentration of TNF alpha
timeFrame: before treatment randomization, 35 days after treatment randomization
measure: blood concentration of Interleucin 6 (IL6)
timeFrame: before treatment randomization, 35 days after treatment randomization
measure: blood concentration of C-reactive protein (CRP)
timeFrame: before treatment randomization, 35 days after treatment randomization
measure: blood concentration of NT-proBNP
timeFrame: before treatment randomization, 35 days after treatment randomization
measure: left ventricular ejection fraction
timeFrame: before treatment randomization, 35 days after treatment randomization
measure: NYHA
timeFrame: before treatment randomization, 35 days after treatment randomization
measure: blood pressure
timeFrame: before treatment randomization, 35 days after treatment randomization
measure: ST-elevation
timeFrame: before treatment randomization, 35 days after treatment randomization
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Vienna
country: Austria
facility: Medical University of Vienna
Study officials:
affiliation: Medical University of Vienna, Dept. of Pain Therapy
name: Sabine Sator, MD, Professor
role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
affiliation: Medical University of Vienna, Dept. of Anaesthesiology
name: Regina Patricia Schukro, MD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
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