Direct sodium removal therapy may ease congestion for heart failure patients

The American Heart Association has found that there is an enormous financial liability of heart failure in the United States  Volume overload contributes to 90% of heart failure-related hospitalizations in the U.S.Loop diuretics have well-described toxicities and loss of response to these agents is common. Alternative strategies are needed for the maintenance of euvolemia in  (HF). 

A new therapy developed by Sequana Medical demonstrates that direct sodium removal (DSR) is a safer alternative to remove excess sodium from the body. The study is published in Circulation.

The research, led by Jeffrey Testani, MD, Director of Heart Failure Research at Yale Cardiovascular Medicine, shows that DSR produced greater sodium removal than a standard peritoneal dialysis solution.

During the study, patients with kidney failure either received a dose of DSR solution or standard therapy. The DSR technique removed over four-times the amount of sodium than the strongest commercially available solution. The patients who received DSR did not experience any significant discomfort or toxic side effects that are common in standard methods.

In a January 10 press release, Dr Testani said, "Volume overload is the primary driver of morbidity and hospitalization in patients with heart failure and loop diuretics, the mainstay of therapy, have well-recognized toxicities and loss of response is common. DSR represents a new potential therapy for non-renal sodium and fluid removal in edematous disorders such as heart failure."

Currently, additional research is underway to test the safety and efficacy of this therapy when combined with other therapies. Additional research evaluating the use of DSR as a method to prevent and treat hypervolemia in HF is warranted.

For more details click on the link: 

Veena S. Rao et al. First in Human Experience with Peritoneal Direct Sodium Removal Using a Zero Sodium Solution: A New Candidate Therapy for Volume Overload, Circulation (2020). DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.119.043062