Heart failure & cardiomyopathiesRandomised controlled trial

Spironolactone in the Treatment of Heart Failure with Mildly Reduced or Preserved Ejection Fraction: Design and Baseline Characteristics of the SPIRIT-HF-DZHK08 Trial

Eur J Heart FailPublished

  • Design and baseline characteristics of the SPIRIT-HF randomised controlled trial
  • multicentre
  • double-blind
  • placebo-controlled
  • phase III
  • 1:1 randomisation
  • pre-specified individual participant data meta-analysis with TOPCAT Americas

Secondary endpoints (hierarchical): total HF hospitalisations, CV hospitalisations, all hospitalisations, CV death within 24 months · Results first analysed on SPIRIT-HF dataset only, then in a pre-specified individual participant data meta-analysis with TOPCAT Americas

Authors' conclusion

SPIRIT-HF addresses key evidence gaps for spironolactone in high-risk HFpEF/HFmrEF

Study context

Population
Patients aged ≥50 years with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥40%, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II–IV symptoms, and either elevated NT-proBNP or HF hospitalisation within 12 months (HFpEF/HFmrEF)
Participants
730 patients
Comparison
Spironolactone vs placebo
Primary endpoint
Composite of:
  • Rate of total (first and recurrent) HF hospitalisations
  • CV death (LWYY model)
Follow-up
24 months from randomisation

Primary result

As reported in the abstract

Baseline characteristics · baseline
Median age, years
77.8
Women
52%
Median LVEF (50-60)
55%
LVEF 40-49%
18%
Prior HF hospitalisation, SPIRIT-HF vs TOPCAT Americas (similar)
46.4% vs. 55%
NT-proBNP, SPIRIT-HF vs TOPCAT Americas (slightly higher)
970 vs. 900 pg/ml
NYHA class III, SPIRIT-HF vs TOPCAT Americas (similar)
33% vs. 35%
AF at baseline ECG, SPIRIT-HF vs TOPCAT Americas (similar)
25% vs. 25%
CKD, SPIRIT-HF vs TOPCAT Americas (similar)
50% vs. 48%
Beta-blockers, SPIRIT-HF vs TOPCAT Americas (similar)
76% vs. 79%
Diuretics, SPIRIT-HF vs TOPCAT Americas (similar)
83% vs. 89%
Loop diuretics, SPIRIT-HF vs TOPCAT Americas (similar)
69% vs. 78%

Original publication

Spironolactone in the Treatment of Heart Failure with Mildly Reduced or Preserved Ejection Fraction: Design and Baseline Characteristics of the SPIRIT-HF-DZHK08 Trial. Eur J Heart Fail. Published 28 July 2026. doi:10.1093/ejhf/xuag222

Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it