Effect of Pregabalin Initiation on Diuretic Requirements in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure.

BACKGROUND:Literature on pregabalin use in patients with heart failure is largely limited to patient case reports and cohort studies. OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the effect of pregabalin initiation on diuretic requirements in patients with heart failure. METHODS:A retrospective analysis of patients with heart failure who were started on pregabalin between January 1, 2014 and September 1, 2021 at the Veterans Affairs North Texas Health Care System (VANTHCS). The primary objective was to determine the median change in loop diuretic dose, in furosemide dose equivalents (FDE), six months after pregabalin initiation. RESULTS:Out of 58 patients analyzed, there was no statistically significant difference in the primary outcome (p=0.162). The secondary outcomes were found to be non-statistically significant and there was no correlation between pregabalin dose and outcomes. CONCLUSION:This represents the largest analysis of diuretic dose requirements in heart failure patients after initiation of pregabalin. While there was no difference in the median change of diuretic dose prescribed, pregabalin should still be used with caution.