Uchino Y, et al. - A randomized, controlled trial was performed to assess if supplementation with oral branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) improves serum albumin and clinical outcomes in heart failure (HF) patients with hypoalbuminemia. Supplementation with BCAAs resulted in increased serum albumin and decreased cardiothoracic ratio (CTR) among in-hospital HF patients with hypoalbuminemia.

Methods

• Eighteen in-hospital HF patients with serum albumin < 3.5 g/dL were randomly assigned to receive oral BCAA granules (LIVACT) for 28 days during their hospital stay or until discharge (BCAA group; N = 9) or to receive no supplementation (controls; N = 9), in addition to recommended HF therapy.
• Changes from baseline in serum albumin and cardiothoracic ratio (CTR) were assessed as the primary endpoints.

Results

• This study was completed by 16 patients.
• BCAA supplementation was received for a mean (± standard deviation) period of 18.4 ± 8.4 days.
• The BCAA group showed a significant increase in serum albumin [mean difference vs baseline, 0.44 g/dL; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.13-0.76; P=0.014]; no change was evident in controls (0.18 g/dL; 95% CI -0.05 to 0.40; P = 0.108).
• The BCAA group showed a significant decrease in CTR (-2.3%; 95% CI -3.8 to -0.8; P=0.014); controls showed no change in CTR (- 1.0%; 95% CI -2.3 to 0.3; P=0.111).