Question

In the discussion, how do the authors explain the fact that between digoxin and placebo there were no differences in all-cause mortality but there were in hospitalizations?

A. They don't.

B. They argue that the sample size may not have been large enough to detect differences in mortality.

C. They point out the fact that they had a borderline significant finding for mortality due to worsening heart failure and suggest that may help with heart failure but may cause bone loss and brittle bones.

D. They say that it is known that are less likely to have chest pains and claudication while on Digoxin although the objective parameters show the heart is doing poorly.

DISCUSSION In the main trial, in which patients with left ven- tricular ejection fractions o studied, we found that digoxin had no effect on overall mortality when it was added to diuretics and angiotensin-converting-enzy heart failure. There were fewer deaths due to wor- sening heart failure in the digoxin group. Althoug death attributable to other cardiac causes was not specified in advance as a study outcome, there was a statistically significant difference between the study groups (P-0.04) with regard to that outcome. The risk of hospitalization, especially for worsening heart failure, was reduced with digoxin treatment. When the combined outcome was analyzed, the incidence of death from worsening heart failure or hospitaliza- tion for that diagnosis was markedly reduced. Small er studies, such as the Randomized Assessment of Digoxin on Inhibitors of the Angiotensin-Convert ing Enzyme (RADIANCE) and Prospective Ran domized Study of Ventricular Failure and the Effica cy of Digoxin (PROVED) trials, have suggested that f 0.45 orlower were me inhibitors to treat

Answer 1

In the discussion, the authors don't explain the fact that between digoxin and placebo there were no differences in all-cause mortality but there were in hospitalizations.

Option- (A)