Levosimendan may provide a better neurohormonal response in heart failure patients receiving beta blocker therapy — Reply

The hemodynamic effects of levosimendan have been shown to be maintained or even enhanced by beta blockers. Furthermore, levosimendan has recently been reported to represent mortality benefit in patients receiving beta blockers. However, it is not clear whether these favorable effects of levosimendan under beta blockade are also suggested by a better neurohormonal response. We evaluated neurohormonal response to levosimendan in patients receiving beta blocker in our study population on the basis of the comments of Giamouzis and colleagues on previously published article, in which both levosimendan and dobutamine were found to be very effective inotropic agents in achieving favorable neurohormonal response but levosimendan had a better and prolonged effect. The findings of recent subgroup analysis suggested that levosimendan treatment trended toward a greater reduction in NT-proBNP levels and therefore may provide a better neurohormonal response in patients receiving beta blockers as compared with those patients not receiving beta blocker.