Effect of 48 Hours of Treatment With the Natural Peptide-Hormone GLP-1 in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure

Heart failure is a major complication in patients with ischemic heart disease. It has been shown that many of these patients have areas of viable myocardium that are not effectively contributing to heart function. Further, chronic congestive heart failure is associated with some degree of insulin resistance in both skeletal and cardiac muscle. GLP-1 is a naturally occurring peptide hormone that acts as an incretin and has been intensively studied by many groups in association with type II diabetes and it has clearly shown its glucose lowering potential with very little risk of hypoglycemia in several trials. Recently GLP-1 has been shown to improve cardiac function in dogs with pace-induced cardiomyopathy, and in an open-labeled study it did improve cardiac function in patients with acute myocardial infarctions. Comparison: 48 hours of treatment with intravenous GLP-1 compared to placebo. Effect on global and regional left ventricular function, exercise capacity, insulin sensitivity and substrate metabolism.