Aldosterone Antagonism in Diastolic Heart Failure

The objectives of this study are: 1) To evaluate the effect of eplerenone, an aldosterone antagonist, on intermediate functional outcomes in patients with DHF (diastolic heart failure); 2) To evaluate the effect of eplerenone, an aldosterone antagonist, on echocardiographic measures of diastolic dysfunction in patients with DHF. The study is an double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the effects of eplerenone compared to placebo in patients with DHF. A total of 48 patients with DHF will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to 1) Placebo (n=24) or to 2) Eplerenone (n=24) in a dose of 25 mg a day for the first 2 weeks followed by uptitration to 50 mg a day for 22 weeks. The primary outcome is an improvement in functional capacity, measured by the distance covered in a 6-minute walk test. Secondary Outcomes include : Change echocardiographic measures of diastolic dysfunction, change in levels of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP)and change in quality of life.