Outpatient Worsening Among Patients With Mildly Reduced and Preserved Ejection Fraction Heart Failure in the DELIVER Trial.

BACKGROUND: Hospitalization is recognized as a sentinel event in the disease trajectory of patients with heart failure (HF), but not all patients experiencing clinical decompensation are ultimately hospitalized. Outpatient intensification of diuretics is common in response to symptoms of worsening HF, yet its prognostic and clinical relevance, specifically for patients with HF with mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction, is uncertain. METHODS: In this prespecified analysis of the DELIVER trial (Dapagliflozin Evaluation to Improve the Lives of Patients With Preserved Ejection Fraction Heart Failure), we assessed the association between various nonfatal worsening HF events (those requiring hospitalization, urgent outpatient visits requiring intravenous HF therapies, and outpatient oral diuretic intensification) and rates of subsequent mortality. We further examined the treatment effect of dapagliflozin on an expanded composite end point of cardiovascular death, HF hospitalization, urgent HF visit, or outpatient oral diuretic intensification. RESULTS: In DELIVER, 4532 (72%) patients experienced no worsening HF event, whereas 789 (13%) had outpatient oral diuretic intensification, 86 (1%) required an urgent HF visit, 585 (9%) had an HF hospitalization, and 271 (4%) died of cardiovascular causes as a first presentation. Patients with a first presentation manifesting as outpatient oral diuretic intensification experienced rates of subsequent mortality that were higher (10 [8-12] per 100 patient-years) than those without a worsening HF event (4 [3-4] per 100 patient-years) but similar to rates of subsequent death after an urgent HF visit (10 [6-18] per 100 patient-years). Patients with an HF hospitalization as a first presentation of worsening HF had the highest rates of subsequent death (35 [31-40] per 100 patient-years). The addition of outpatient diuretic intensification to the adjudicated DELIVER primary end point (cardiovascular death, HF hospitalization, or urgent HF visit) increased the overall number of patients experiencing an event from 1122 to 1731 (a 54% increase). Dapagliflozin reduced the need for outpatient diuretic intensification alone (hazard ratio, 0.72 [95% CI, 0.64-0.82]) and when analyzed as a part of an expanded composite end point of worsening HF or cardiovascular death (hazard ratio, 0.76 [95% CI, 0.69-0.84]). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with HF with mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction, worsening HF requiring oral diuretic intensification in ambulatory care was frequent, adversely prognostic, and significantly reduced by dapagliflozin. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT03619213.

Missense Genetic Variation of ICAM1 and Incident Heart Failure.

BACKGROUND: Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) is a cell surface protein that participates in endothelial activation and is hypothesized to play a central role in heart failure (HF). We evaluated associations of ICAM1 missense genetic variants with circulating ICAM-1 levels and with incident HF. METHODS AND RESULTS: We identified 3 missense variants within ICAM1 (rs5491, rs5498 and rs1799969) and evaluated their associations with ICAM-1 levels in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study and the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). We determined the association among these 3 variants and incident HF in MESA. We separately evaluated significant associations in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Of the 3 missense variants, rs5491 was common in Black participants (minor allele frequency [MAF] > 20%) and rare in other race/ethnic groups (MAF < 5%). In Black participants, the presence of rs5491 was associated with higher levels of circulating ICAM-1 at 2 timepoints separated by 8 years. Among Black participants in MESA (n = 1600), the presence of rs5491 was associated with an increased risk of incident HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF; HR = 2.30; [95% CI 1.25-4.21; P = 0.007]). The other ICAM1 missense variants (rs5498 and rs1799969) were associated with ICAM-1 levels, but there were no associations with HF. In ARIC, rs5491 was significantly associated with incident HF (HR = 1.24 [95% CI 1.02 - 1.51]; P = 0.03), with a similar direction of effect for HFpEF that was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: A common ICAM1 missense variant among Black individuals may be associated with increased risk of HF, which may be HFpEF-specific.

Apolipoprotein E Polymorphism, Cardiac Remodeling, and Heart Failure in the ARIC Study.

BACKGROUND: ß-Amyloid has recently been discovered in the myocardium of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Whether genetic variation in apolipoprotein E (APOE) ɛ4, a common variant associated with Alzheimer's disease, is associated with incident heart failure (HF), N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and cardiac structure and function is unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 15,064 White and Black participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities, relating genotype status at visit 1 (1987-1989) to incident HF hospitalization using Cox regression. At visits 2, 4, and 5, we assessed NT-proBNP levels by genotype. At visits 3 and 5, we related Aß peptides to incident HF. At visit 5 (2011-2013, n = 6251), we assessed the relationship of genotype with prevalent HF and echocardiographic parameters. The mean participant age was 54.7 ± 5.8 years, 45% were men, and 73% were White. At visit 5, there was no difference in prevalent HF by genotype. The APOE ε4 carriers did not have increased risk for HF hospitalization. The APOE ε4 genotype was not associated with cardiac structure and function or NT-proBNP levels. The Aß peptides were not associated with incident HF after multivariable adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: A genetic predisposition to Alzheimer's disease through APOE ε4 is not associated with an increased prevalence of HF, HF hospitalization, myocardial remodeling, or biochemical evidence of HF.

Effects of sacubitril/valsartan on glycemia in patients with diabetes and heart failure: the PARAGON-HF and PARADIGM-HF trials.

BACKGROUND: Compared with enalapril, sacubitril/valsartan lowered HbA1c and reduced new insulin therapy in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and diabetes in the PARADIGM-HF trial. We sought to assess the glycemic effects of sacubitril/valsartan in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and diabetes, and across the spectrum of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in heart failure and diabetes. METHODS: We compared the effect of sacubitril/valsartan, relative to valsartan, on HbA1c, new insulin therapy and hypoglycemia in the randomized controlled trial PARAGON-HF, and performed pooled analyses of PARAGON-HF and PARADIGM-HF. RESULTS: Among 2395 patients with HFpEF and diabetes in PARAGON-HF, sacubitril/valsartan compared with valsartan reduced HbA1c (baseline-adjusted between-group difference in HbA1c change at 48 weeks: - 0.24%, 95% CI - 0.33 to - 0.16%, P < 0.001). Numerically, new insulin treatment was initiated less often in the sacubitril/valsartan group than in the valsartan group, but the difference was not statistically significant (12.8% vs. 16.1%; HR: 0.80, 95% CI 0.62-1.02, P = 0.07). Hypoglycemia adverse event reports were low, but more frequent in those receiving sacubitril/valsartan than in the valsartan group (4.2% vs. 2.6%; HR: 1.64, 95% CI 1.05-2.56, P = 0.030). In a pooled analysis of PARAGON-HF and PARADIGM-HF, the effect of sacubitril/valsartan on change in HbA1c was not significantly modified by LVEF (Pinteraction = 0.56). Across the spectrum of LVEF, sacubitril/valsartan reduced new insulin therapy (HR: 0.75, 95% CI 0.63-0.89, P = 0.001), compared with enalapril or valsartan. CONCLUSIONS: Sacubitril/valsartan reduced HbA1c and new insulin therapy in patients with heart failure and diabetes across the spectrum of LVEF but may be associated with a slightly higher risk for hypoglycemia. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01920711.

Excess mortality in solid organ transplant recipients hospitalized with COVID-19: A large-scale comparison of SOT recipients hospitalized with or without COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Solid-organ transplant (SOT) recipients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have higher risk of adverse outcomes compared to the general population. Whether hospitalized SOT recipients with COVID-19 are at higher risk of mortality than SOT recipients hospitalized for other causes, including non-COVID-19 pneumonia, remains unclear. METHODS: We used logistic regression to compare outcomes of SOT recipients hospitalized with COVID-19 to non-COVID-19 related admissions and with non-COVID-19 pneumonia. RESULTS: Of 17,012 hospitalized SOT recipients, 1682 had COVID-19. Those with COVID-19 had higher odds of ICU admission (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.12 [95%CI: 1.88-2.39]) and mechanical ventilation (aOR 3.75 [95%CI: 3.24-4.33]). COVID-19 was associated with higher odds of in-hospital death, which was more pronounced earlier in the pandemic (aOR 9.74 [95%CI: 7.08-13.39] for April/May vs. aOR 7.08 [95%CI: 5.62-8.93] for June through November 2020; P-interaction = .03). Compared to SOT recipients hospitalized with non-COVID-19 pneumonia, odds of in-hospital death were higher in SOT recipients with COVID-19 (aOR 2.44 [95% CI: 1.90-3.13]), regardless of time of hospitalization (P-interaction > .40). CONCLUSIONS: In this large cohort of SOT recipients, hospitalization with COVID-19 was associated with higher odds of complications and in-hospital mortality than non-COVID-19 related admissions, and 2.5-fold higher odds of in-hospital mortality, compared to SOT recipients with non-COVID-19 pneumonia.

Estimating lifetime benefits of comprehensive disease-modifying pharmacological therapies in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: a comparative analysis of three randomised controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Three drug classes (mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists [MRAs], angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors [ARNIs], and sodium/glucose cotransporter 2 [SGLT2] inhibitors) reduce mortality in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) beyond conventional therapy consisting of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) and ß blockers. Each class was previously studied with different background therapies and the expected treatment benefits with their combined use are not known. Here, we used data from three previously reported randomised controlled trials to estimate lifetime gains in event-free survival and overall survival with comprehensive therapy versus conventional therapy in patients with chronic HFrEF. METHODS: In this cross-trial analysis, we estimated treatment effects of comprehensive disease-modifying pharmacological therapy (ARNI, ß blocker, MRA, and SGLT2 inhibitor) versus conventional therapy (ACE inhibitor or ARB and ß blocker) in patients with chronic HFrEF by making indirect comparisons of three pivotal trials, EMPHASIS-HF (n=2737), PARADIGM-HF (n=8399), and DAPA-HF (n=4744). Our primary endpoint was a composite of cardiovascular death or first hospital admission for heart failure; we also assessed these endpoints individually and assessed all-cause mortality. Assuming these relative treatment effects are consistent over time, we then projected incremental long-term gains in event-free survival and overall survival with comprehensive disease-modifying therapy in the control group of the EMPHASIS-HF trial (ACE inhibitor or ARB and ß blocker). FINDINGS: The hazard ratio (HR) for the imputed aggregate treatment effects of comprehensive disease-modifying therapy versus conventional therapy on the primary endpoint of cardiovascular death or hospital admission for heart failure was 0·38 (95% CI 0·30-0·47). HRs were also favourable for cardiovascular death alone (HR 0·50 [95% CI 0·37-0·67]), hospital admission for heart failure alone (0·32 [0·24-0·43]), and all-cause mortality (0·53 [0·40-0·70]). Treatment with comprehensive disease-modifying pharmacological therapy was estimated to afford 2·7 additional years (for an 80-year-old) to 8·3 additional years (for a 55-year-old) free from cardiovascular death or first hospital admission for heart failure and 1·4 additional years (for an 80-year-old) to 6·3 additional years (for a 55-year-old) of survival compared with conventional therapy. INTERPRETATION: Among patients with HFrEF, the anticipated aggregate treatment effects of early comprehensive disease-modifying pharmacological therapy are substantial and support the combination use of an ARNI, ß blocker, MRA, and SGLT2 inhibitor as a new therapeutic standard. FUNDING: None.

Decline in peak oxygen consumption over time predicts death or transplantation in adults with a Fontan circulation.

Peak oxygen consumption (pVO2) measured by cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) predicts mortality in adults with a Fontan circulation. The purpose of this study was to assess the additive prognostic value of change in pVO2 over time. METHODS: We analyzed a cohort of adults (≥18 years old) with a Fontan circulation who underwent at least 2 maximal CPETs separated by 6-30 months at Boston Children's Hospital between 2000 and 2015. Survival analysis was performed to determine whether changes in CPET variables, including pVO2 between consecutive tests, were associated with subsequent clinical events. The primary outcome was transplant-free survival. RESULTS: The study included 130 patients with 287 CPET test pairs. Average age was 26.6±9.5 years. Baseline pVO2 averaged 22.0±5.7 mL/kg/min or 60.9%±13.7% predicted. In the cohort overall, there was no change in mean pVO2 between sequential CPETs. Eleven patients died and 2 underwent transplant. On average, pVO2 declined for patients who subsequently died or underwent transplant but remained stable among those who did not (-9.8%±14.6% vs 0.0±13.0%, P<.01). Those with a decline in pVO2 between CPETs were at greater risk of death or transplantation (per 10% decrease in pVO2: HR=2.0, 95% CI 1.2-3.1, P=.004). Change in pVO2 remained a significant predictor of death or transplant after adjusting for pVO2 at first CPET (per 10% decline in pVO2: HR=2.5, 95% CI 1.5-4.2, P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: A decline in pVO2 between consecutive CPETs predicts increased risk for death or transplant in adults with a Fontan circulation independent of baseline pVO2. These results support the additive clinical value of serial CPET in this population.