CIT-DZHK29

Cyclosporine in Takotsubo syndrome (CIT-DZHK29)

In the DZHK-funded CIT-DZHK29 study, researchers from Heidelberg are investigating for the first time whether an anti-inflammatory drug can alleviate myocardial damage in broken heart syndrome. In broken heart syndrome or Takotsubo syndrome (TTS), patients suffer from symptoms similar to those of a heart attack with acute heart failure. In contrast to a heart attack, however, the coronary arteries are not blocked. The "broken heart" is usually triggered by severe emotional stress, such as the loss of a loved one, or physical stress, such as a stroke or injuries following an accident. The body then releases increased stress hormone levels, leading to damage and inflammation of the heart muscle.

The treatment of patients with broken heart syndrome has yet to be sufficiently researched. Professor Norbert Frey and Dr. Bastian Bruns from Heidelberg University Hospital are now investigating whether the administration of the immunosuppressive drug cyclosporin A (CsA) can reduce the damage and inflammation to the heart muscle in patients with broken heart syndrome and improve their cardiac performance. They are focusing on patients with a high risk of complications during hospitalization and an increased risk of death within the next five years. The drug has already been used in humans for a long time, for example, to treat rheumatic diseases or to prevent rejection reactions after an organ transplant.

The study participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups: One group receives high-dose cyclosporine A three times at twelve-hour intervals, while the placebo group receives a small amount of saline solution. All participants continue to receive standard heart failure therapy. Patients are monitored closely during the first three days and then examined regularly for one year. The CIT-DZHK29 study is one of the first randomized controlled multicentre studies on broken heart syndrome. It is, therefore, also the first clinical trial to investigate the potential benefits of anti-inflammatory therapy for this disease.

Publications

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Principal Investigators

Principal investigator: Norbert Frey (Heidelberg), Co-PI: Bastian Bruns (Heidelberg)

Press releases and news

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