Background: The effect of carvedilol on heart failure (HF) in patients with a functionally univentricular heart (UVH) remains unclear.
Methods and results: Carvedilol was used to treat HF in 51 patients with a UVH, classified into 3 groups: after the Fontan operation (F), after the bidirectional Glenn operation (G), and patients who had not undergone Fontan or Glenn operation (NF). Carvedilol therapy was started at a mean age of 10 ± 12 years (range: 1 month to 34 years). The initial and maximum doses of carvedilol were 0.04 ± 0.03 and 0.42 ± 0.29 mg · kg(-1) · day(-1), respectively. After a mean follow-up of 11 months, the cardiothoracic ratio improved from 60 ± 8 to 58 ± 8% (P<0.01), and the dosage of furosemide was reduced from 1.4 ± 0.9 to 0.7 ± 0.7 mg · kg(-1) · day(-1) (P < 0.01). The ejection fraction also improved from 35 ± 12 to 40 ± 11% (P < 0.05), and this improvement was prominent in the F group (from 35 ± 15 to 45 ± 9%; P < 0.05). Clinical signs, symptoms, and New York Heart Association functional class also improved.
Conclusions: Carvedilol may play an important role in treating HF associated with a UVH.