The Re-Prosper HF Study

Description

Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is a common cause for admission within the Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System. It is associated with severe impairment of physical and mental health status and carries a high risk of mortality. Even though significant progress has been made in understanding the disease process, currently, its management and treatment is limited. The investigators have discovered that a commonly used drug for the treatment of gout can be repurposed for the treatment of HFrEF. The objective of this study is the treatment of outpatient Veterans with HFrEF with probenecid to improve heart and health function. Specifically, the investigators are testing whether oral probenecid administered orally twice per day for 180 days improves heart function as measured via ultrasound of the heart (aim 1); improves exercise capacity (aim 2); and improves self-report heart failure specific health status as measured via questionnaires (aim 3).

Conditions

Heart Failure

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is a common cause for admission within the Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System. It is associated with severe impairment of physical and mental health status and carries a high risk of mortality. Even though significant progress has been made in understanding the disease process, currently, its management and treatment is limited. The investigators have discovered that a commonly used drug for the treatment of gout can be repurposed for the treatment of HFrEF. The objective of this study is the treatment of outpatient Veterans with HFrEF with probenecid to improve heart and health function. Specifically, the investigators are testing whether oral probenecid administered orally twice per day for 180 days improves heart function as measured via ultrasound of the heart (aim 1); improves exercise capacity (aim 2); and improves self-report heart failure specific health status as measured via questionnaires (aim 3).

Treatment of Veterans With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction With Probenecid

The Re-Prosper HF Study

Condition
Heart Failure
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Boston

VA Boston Healthcare System Jamaica Plain Campus, Jamaica Plain, MA, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02130-4817

Cincinnati

Cincinnati VA Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, 45220-2213

Cleveland

Louis Stokes VA Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, Cleveland, Ohio, United States, 44106-1702

Providence

Providence VA Medical Center, Providence, RI, Providence, Rhode Island, United States, 02908-4734

Richmond

Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, VA, Richmond, Virginia, United States, 23249-0001

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • * Have documented heart failure as a treated inpatient or outpatient diagnosis in the medical record.
  • * Left ventricular ejection 40% within the past 12 months either by echocardiogram, cardiac MRI, cardiac CT, nuclear imaging or cardiac catheterization.
  • * On stable GDMT for at least 2 weeks (including at least an EBM dose of betablocker and RAAS inhibition) consistent with the EPHESUS trial criteria \[16\] or having a documented allergy or adverse reaction to betablocker and/or RAAS inhibition.
  • * Age 18 years or older.
  • * Acute coronary syndrome or cardiac revascularization within the past 3 months.
  • * End stage renal disease with renal replacement therapy or creatinine clearance less than 30 ml/min \[17\].
  • * Cardiac resynchronization therapy within the past 3 months.
  • * Constrictive pericarditis or restrictive cardiomyopathy on cardiac imaging study (echocardiogram cardiac MRI, cardiac CT) within the last 12 months.
  • * Ablation for cardiac arrhythmias within the past month.
  • * Peripartum cardiomyopathy diagnosed within past 6 months. If LVEF is still 40% after 6 months of diagnosis, they can be enrolled into the study.
  • * Uncorrected cyanotic congenital heart disease.
  • * Severe right sided valvular disease and/or greater than moderate degree of stenotic or regurgitant left valvular disease.
  • * Terminal illness with expected survival of less than 12 months.
  • * Women who are pregnant, breast feeding, or plan to become pregnant during the study. All women in childbearing age will undergo baseline and quarterly urine pregnancy tests to ensure absence of pregnancy since the cardiometabolic assessments will be different during pregnancy.
  • * Oral therapy with probenecid for any indication during the preceding 3 months.
  • * Hypersensitivity to probenecid based on prior exposure.
  • * Inability to provide informed consent or study procedures due to dementia, unstable psychiatric disease, or other cause (e.g. inability to do perform exercise testing).
  • * Acute gout attack within the previous 3 months.
  • * History of uric acid kidney stones within the last year. Patient will be removed from the study if they develop urate kidney stones.
  • * History of blood diseases in the past year: Aplastic anemia, Hemolytic anemia, Leukopenia, Neutropenia, Pancytopenia, Thrombocytopenia or leukemia.
  • * Creatinine clearance (eGFR) \<30 ml/min.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 Years to

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Collaborators and Investigators

VA Office of Research and Development,

Jack Rubinstein, MD, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, Cincinnati VA Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH

Study Record Dates

2025-11-03