Clinical trajectory of patients with a worsening heart failure event and reduced ventricular ejection fraction

• Published in: The American heart journal Vol. 245; pp. 110 - 116
• Main Authors: Carnicelli, Anthony P., Clare, Robert M., Hofmann, Paul, Chiswell, Karen, DeVore, Adam D., Vemulapalli, Sreekanth, Felker, G. Michael, Kelsey, Anita M., DeWald, Tracy A., Sarocco, Phil, Mentz, Robert J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-03-2022; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Cardiovascular disease; Clinical outcomes; Confidence intervals; Congestive heart failure; Defibrillators; Echocardiography; Ejection fraction; Electronic health records; Emergency medical care; Emergency medical services; Health hazards; Heart failure; Heart Failure - drug therapy; Heart Failure - therapy; Heart Ventricles; Hospitalization; Humans; Laboratories; Male; Patients; Peptides; Population; Prognosis; Stroke Volume - physiology; Ultrasonic imaging; Ventricle; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left; Ventricular Function, Left - physiology
• ISSN: 0002-8703; 1097-6744
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ahj.2021.12.003

Recent data suggest that patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and worsening heart failure (WHF) have potential for greater benefit from newer HF therapies. We investigated characteristics and outcomes of patients with HFrEF and WHF by severity of left ventricular dysfunction.
We identified patients with chronic symptomatic HFrEF (left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF] ≤35%) and evidence of WHF (emergency department visit or hospitalization for acute HF within 12 months of index echocardiogram) treated at Duke University between 1/2009 and 12/2018. Patients were stratified by LVEF≤25% or 26% to35%. Cox models were used to estimate cause-specific hazard ratios and 5-year event incidence of death and hospitalization across the range of LVEF.
Of 2823 patients with HFrEF and WHF, 1620 (57.4%) had an LVEF≤25% and 1203 (42.6%) had an LVEF 26% to35%. Compared to patients with LVEF 26% to35%, those with LVEF≤25% were younger and more commonly men with a lower cardiovascular comorbidity burden. Patients with LVEF≤25% were less commonly on beta blockers (85.9% vs 90.5%) but more commonly treated with mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (49.3% vs 41.1%) and implantable defibrillators (41.3% vs 28.2%). Patients with LVEF≤25% had significantly higher hazards for death (HR 1.24 [95% CI 1.11 – 1.38]), all-cause hospitalization (HR 1.21 [95% CI 1.10 – 1.33]), and HF hospitalization (HR 1.25 [95% CI 1.1 – 1.38]) through 5-years.
More than half of patients with chronic HFrEF and WHF have severe LV dysfunction. Important differences in comorbidities, HF therapies, and outcomes exist between those with LVEF≤25% and those with LVEF 26% to35%.