Diabetes and prediabetes in patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction

Contemporary treatment options in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) constitutes approximately half of the heart failure population, with its prevalence markedly increasing with older age and the presence of cardio-metabolic comorbidities. Although HFpEF is associated with a high symptom- and mortality burden, historically there have been few evidence-based treatment options for patients with HFpEF. Recent randomized clinical trials have expanded evidence on pharmacological treatment options, introducing new agents for managing HFpEF. Given the complex clinical phenotype with pathophysiological heterogeneity and evolving diagnostic standards, the evidence-based management of HFpEF remains challenging for clinicians. This review summarizes the latest evidence from contemporary randomized clinical trials and recent guideline recommendations to provide guidance for the treatment of patients with HFpEF.

Evidence of a bi-directional relationship between heart failure and diabetes: a strategy for the detection of glucose abnormalities and diabetes prevention in patients with heart failure

Prevalence of heart failure (HF) and diabetes are markedly increasing globally. In a population of HF patients, approximately 40% have diabetes which is associated with a more severe HF, poorer cardiovascular outcomes and higher hospitalization rates for HF than HF patients without diabetes. Similar trends were shown in HF patients with prediabetes. In addition, the association between HF and renal function decline was demonstrated in patients with or without diabetes. However, the exact prevalence of dysglycemia in HF patients requires further investigation aiming to clarify the most accurate test to detect dysglycemia in this population. The relationship between HF and diabetes is complex and probably bidirectional. In one way, patients with diabetes have a more than two-fold risk of developing incident HF with reduced or preserved ejection fraction than those without diabetes. In the other way, patients with HF, when compared with those without HF, show an increased risk for the onset of diabetes due to several mechanisms including insulin resistance (IR), which makes HF emerging as a precursor for diabetes development. This article provides epidemiological evidence of undetected dysglycemia (prediabetes or diabetes) in HF patients and reviews the pathophysiological mechanisms which favor the development of IR and the risks associated with these disorders in HF patients. This review also offers a discussion of various strategies for the prevention of diabetes in HF patients, based first on fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c measurement and if normal on an oral glucose tolerance test as diagnostic tools for prediabetes and unknown diabetes that should be performed more extensively in those patients. It discusses the implementation of diabetes prevention measures and well-structured management programs for HF patients who are generally overweight or obese, as well as current pharmacotherapeutic options for prediabetes, including sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors which are among the pillars of HF treatment and which recently showed a benefit in the reduction of incident diabetes in HF patients. Thus, there is an urgent need of routine screening for dysglycemia in all HF patients, which should contribute to reduce the incidence of diabetes and to treat earlier diabetes when already present.

The Emerging Role of Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists in the Management of Obesity-Related Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction: Benefits beyond What Scales Can Measure?

Obesity is a significant predisposing factor for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Although a substantial proportion of individuals with HFpEF also have obesity, those with obesity are under-represented in clinical trials for heart failure. In turn, current guidelines provided limited recommendations for the medical management of this patient population. Both obesity and diabetes induce a pro-inflammatory state that can contribute to endothelial dysfunction and coronary microvascular impairment, finally resulting in HFpEF. Additionally, obesity leads to increased epicardial and chest wall adiposity, which enhances ventricular interdependence. This condition is further aggravated by plasma and blood volume expansion and excessive vasoconstriction, ultimately worsening HFpEF. Despite the well-documented benefits of GLP-1 receptor agonists in subjects with diabetes, obesity, or both, their role in obesity-related HFpEF remains unclear. In light of the recently published literature, this review aims to investigate the potential mechanisms and synthesize the available clinical evidence regarding the role of GLP-1 receptor agonists in patients with obesity-related HFpEF.

Potential Mechanisms of Epicardial Adipose Tissue Influencing Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction

Heart failure (HF) is the predominant terminal stage and the leading cause of mortality in cardiac disease. Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) affects roughly 50% of HF patients globally. Due to the global aging population, the prevalence, morbidity, and mortality of HFpEF have gradually increased. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT), as a key visceral adipose tissue around the heart, affects cardiac diastolic function and exercise reserve capacity. EAT closely adheres to the myocardium and can produce inflammatory factors, neurotransmitters, and other factors through autocrine or paracrine mechanisms, affecting the heart function by inflammatory response, cardiac metabolism and energy supply, cardiomyocyte structure and electrical activity, and pericardial vascular function. Currently, research on the mechanism and treatment methods of HFpEF is constantly improving. EAT may play a multi-level impact on the occurrence and development of HFpEF. This review also summarizes the potential impact of EAT on the heart in HFpEF combined with other metabolism-related diseases such as obesity or diabetes over other obesity-related measures, such as body mass index (BMI) or other adipose tissue. Above all, this review comprehensively summarizes the potential mechanisms by which EAT may affect HFpEF. The objective is to enhance our comprehension and management of HFpEF. Future research should delve into the mechanistic relationship between EAT and HFpEF, and investigate interventions aimed at EAT to improve the prognosis of patients with HFpEF.

Long-term outcomes prediction in diabetic heart failure with preserved ejection fraction by cardiac MRI

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to explore imaging features including tissue characterization and myocardial deformation in diabetic heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) patients by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and investigate its prognostic value for adverse outcomes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients with HFpEF who underwent cardiac MRI between January 2010 and December 2016 were enrolled. Feature-tracking (FT) analysis and myocardial fibrosis were assessed by cardiac MRI. Cox proportional regression analysis was performed to determine the association between MRI variables and primary outcomes. Primary outcomes were all-cause death or heart failure hospitalization during the follow-up period.

RESULTS

Of the 335 enrolled patients with HFpEF, 191 had diabetes mellitus (DM) (mean age: 58.7 years ± 10.8; 137 men). During a median follow-up of 10.2 years, 91 diabetic HFpEF and 56 non-diabetic HFpEF patients experienced primary outcomes. DM was a significant predictor of worse prognosis in HFpEF. In diabetic HFpEF, the addition of conventional imaging variables (left ventricular ejection fraction, left atrial volume index, extent of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE)) and global longitudinal strain (GLS) resulted in a significant increase in the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (from 0.693 to 0.760, p < 0.05). After adjustment for multiple clinical and imaging variables, each 1% worsening in GLS was associated with a 9.8% increased risk of adverse events (p = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONS

Diabetic HFpEF is characterized by more severely impaired strains and myocardial fibrosis, which is identified as a high-risk HFpEF phenotype. In diabetic HFpEF, comprehensive cardiac MRI provides incremental value in predicting prognosis. Particularly, MRI-FT measurement of GLS is an independent predictor of adverse outcome in diabetic HFpEF.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT

Our findings suggested that MRI-derived variables, especially global longitudinal strain, played a crucial role in risk stratification and predicting worse prognosis in diabetic heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, which could assist in identifying high-risk patients and guiding therapeutic decision-making.

KEY POINTS

• Limited data are available on the cardiac MRI features of diabetic heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, including myocardial deformation and tissue characterization, as well as their incremental prognostic value. • Diabetic heart failure with preserved ejection fraction patients was characterized by more impaired strains and myocardial fibrosis. Comprehensive MRI, including tissue characterization and global longitudinal strain, provided incremental value for risk prediction. • MRI served as a valuable tool for identifying high-risk patients and guiding clinical management in diabetic heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Cardioprotective benefits of metabolic surgery and GLP-1 receptor agonist-based therapies

Individuals with excessive adipose tissue and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) face a heightened risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Metabolic surgery is an effective therapy for people with severe obesity to achieve significant weight loss. Additionally, metabolic surgery improves blood glucose levels and can lead to T2DM remission, reducing major adverse cardiovascular outcomes (MACE). Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are a class of medication that effectively reduce body weight and MACE in patients with T2DM. This review explores the potential mechanisms underlying the cardioprotective benefits of metabolic surgery and GLP-1RA-based therapies and discusses recent evidence and emerging therapies in this dynamic area of research.

Adropin Predicts Asymptomatic Heart Failure in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Independent of the Levels of Natriuretic Peptides

In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), asymptomatic adverse cardiac remodeling plays a pivotal role in the development of heart failure (HF). Patients with T2DM often have low or near-normal levels of natriuretic peptides, including N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), which have been inconclusive in predicting the transition from asymptomatic adverse cardiac remodeling to HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). The aim of this study was to elucidate the predictive ability of adropin for HFpEF depending on the circulating levels of NT-proBNP. We prospectively enrolled 561 T2DM patients (glycated hemoglobin < 6.9%) with echocardiographic evidence of structural cardiac abnormalities and left ventricular ejection fractions >50%. All patients underwent B-mode transthoracic echocardiographic and Doppler examinations. Circulating biomarkers, i.e., NT-proBNP and adropin, were assessed at baseline. All individuals were divided into two groups according to the presence of low levels (<125 pmol/mL; n = 162) or elevated levels (≥125 pmol/mL; n = 399) of NT-proBNP. Patients with known asymptomatic adverse cardiac remodeling and elevated NT-proBNP were classified as having asymptomatic HFpEF. A multivariate logistic regression showed that low serum levels of adropin (<3.5 ng/mL), its combination with any level of NT-proBNP, and use of SGLT2 inhibitors were independent predictors of HFpEF. However, low levels of adropin significantly increased the predictive ability of NT-proBNP for asymptomatic HFpEF in patients with T2DM, even though the concentrations of NT-proBNP were low, while adropin added discriminatory value to all concentrations of NT-proBNP. In conclusion, low levels of adropin significantly increase the predictive ability of NT-proBNP for asymptomatic HFpEF in patients with T2DM.

Coronary microvascular dysfunction and left heart filling pressures in patients with type 2 diabetes

AIMS

Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) have a high prevalence of diastolic dysfunction and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), which in turn leads to an increased risk of hospitalization and death. However, the factors of risk and their relative importance in leading to higher left ventricular filling pressures are still disputed. We sought to clarify the associations of a wide range of invasive and non-invasive risk factors with cardiac filling pressures in high-risk T2D patients.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Patients with T2D at high risk of cardiovascular events were prospectively enrolled in this study. Participants were thoroughly phenotyped including right heart catheterization at rest and during exercise, echocardiography, urinary excretion of albumin (UACR), and quantification of their myocardial blood flow rate (MFR) using cardiac 82Rb-PET/CT. Of the 37 patients included in the study, 22 (59%) patients met invasive criteria for HFpEF. Only 2 out of 39 variables emerged as independent factors associated with left ventricular filling pressure as assessed by pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) at rest; history of hypertension (coefficient: 2.6 mmHg [0.3; 5.0], P = 0.030) and MFR (P = 0.026). We found a significant inverse association between MFR and PCWP with a coefficient of -2.3 mmHg (-4.3; -0.3) in PCWP per integer change of MFR. The MFR ranged from 1.18 to 3.68 in our study, which corresponds to a difference in PCWP of approximately 6 mmHg between patients with the lowest compared to the highest MFR. During exercise, only 2 variables emerged as borderline independent factors associated with PCWP: myocardial flow reserve (coefficient: -4.4 [-9.6; 0.8], P = 0.091) and beta-blockers use (coefficient: 6.1 [-0.1; 12.4], P = 0.053).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with type 2 diabetes without known HFpEF but risk factors for cardiovascular disease, myocardial blood flow rate was independently associated with PCWP at rest across the range from normal to abnormal left heart filling pressures. A clinically significant difference of 6 mmHg in PWCP was attributable to differences in MFR in patients with the lowest compared with the highest MFR values. This suggests that strategies than attenuate microvascular dysfunction could slow progression of increased left ventricular left heart filling pressures in patients at increased risk.

2024 update in heart failure

In the last years, major progress has occurred in heart failure (HF) management. The 2023 ESC focused update of the 2021 HF guidelines introduced new key recommendations based on the results of the last years of science. First, two drugs, sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and finerenone, a novel nonsteroidal, selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA), are recommended for the prevention of HF in patients with diabetic chronic kidney disease (CKD). Second, SGLT2 inhibitors are now recommended for the treatment of HF across the entire left ventricular ejection fraction spectrum. The benefits of quadruple therapy in patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) are well established. Its rapid and early up-titration along with a close follow-up with frequent clinical and laboratory re-assessment after an episode of acute HF (the so-called 'high-intensity care' strategy) was associated with better outcomes in the STRONG-HF trial. Patients experiencing an episode of worsening HF might require a fifth drug, vericiguat. In the STEP-HFpEF-DM and STEP-HFpEF trials, semaglutide 2.4 mg once weekly administered for 1 year decreased body weight and significantly improved quality of life and the 6 min walk distance in obese patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) with or without a history of diabetes. Further data on safety and efficacy, including also hard endpoints, are needed to support the addition of acetazolamide or hydrochlorothiazide to a standard diuretic regimen in patients hospitalized due to acute HF. In the meantime, PUSH-AHF supported the use of natriuresis-guided diuretic therapy. Further options and most recent evidence for the treatment of HF, including specific drugs for cardiomyopathies (i.e., mavacamten in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and tafamidis in transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis), device therapies, cardiac contractility modulation and percutaneous treatment of valvulopathies, with the recent finding from the TRILUMINATE Pivotal trial, are also reviewed in this article.

Liver and cardiovascular disease outcomes in metabolic syndrome and diabetic populations: Bi-directional opportunities to multiply preventive strategies

The incidence and prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are rising globally. MetS and T2DM are associated with significant morbidity and mortality, which is partly related to liver and cardiovascular disease. Insulin resistance is central to MetS and T2DM pathophysiology, and drives ectopic fat deposition in the liver, also known as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). MetS and T2DM are not only risk factors for developing MASLD but are also independently associated with disease progression to steatohepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. In addition to the risk of liver disease, MetS and T2DM are independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), including coronary artery disease (CAD) and heart failure (HF). Importantly, there is a bidirectional relationship between liver and CVD due to shared disease pathophysiology in patients with MetS and T2DM. In this review, we have described studies exploring the relationship of MetS and T2DM with MASLD and CVD, independently. Following this we discuss studies evaluating the interplay between liver and cardiovascular risk as well as pragmatic risk mitigation strategies in this patient population.

Semaglutide in Patients with Obesity-Related Heart Failure and Type 2 Diabetes

BACKGROUND

Obesity and type 2 diabetes are prevalent in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and are characterized by a high symptom burden. No approved therapies specifically target obesity-related heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in persons with type 2 diabetes.

METHODS

We randomly assigned patients who had heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, a body-mass index (the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters) of 30 or more, and type 2 diabetes to receive once-weekly semaglutide (2.4 mg) or placebo for 52 weeks. The primary end points were the change from baseline in the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire clinical summary score (KCCQ-CSS; scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating fewer symptoms and physical limitations) and the change in body weight. Confirmatory secondary end points included the change in 6-minute walk distance; a hierarchical composite end point that included death, heart failure events, and differences in the change in the KCCQ-CSS and 6-minute walk distance; and the change in the C-reactive protein (CRP) level.

RESULTS

A total of 616 participants underwent randomization. The mean change in the KCCQ-CSS was 13.7 points with semaglutide and 6.4 points with placebo (estimated difference, 7.3 points; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.1 to 10.4; P<0.001), and the mean percentage change in body weight was -9.8% with semaglutide and -3.4% with placebo (estimated difference, -6.4 percentage points; 95% CI, -7.6 to -5.2; P<0.001). The results for the confirmatory secondary end points favored semaglutide over placebo (estimated between-group difference in change in 6-minute walk distance, 14.3 m [95% CI, 3.7 to 24.9; P = 0.008]; win ratio for hierarchical composite end point, 1.58 [95% CI, 1.29 to 1.94; P<0.001]; and estimated treatment ratio for change in CRP level, 0.67 [95% CI, 0.55 to 0.80; P<0.001]). Serious adverse events were reported in 55 participants (17.7%) in the semaglutide group and 88 (28.8%) in the placebo group.

CONCLUSIONS

Among patients with obesity-related heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and type 2 diabetes, semaglutide led to larger reductions in heart failure-related symptoms and physical limitations and greater weight loss than placebo at 1 year. (Funded by Novo Nordisk; STEP-HFpEF DM ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04916470.).

Mechanical loading reveals an intrinsic cardiomyocyte stiffness contribution to diastolic dysfunction in murine cardiometabolic disease

Cardiometabolic syndromes including diabetes and obesity are associated with occurrence of heart failure with diastolic dysfunction. There are no specific treatments for diastolic dysfunction and therapies to manage symptoms have limited efficacy. Understanding of the cardiomyocyte origins of diastolic dysfunction is an important priority to identify new therapeutics. The investigative goal was to experimentally define in vitro stiffness (stress/strain) properties of isolated cardiomyocytes derived from rodent hearts exhibiting diastolic dysfunction in vivo in response to dietary induction of cardiometabolic disease. Mice fed a High Fat/Sugar Diet (HFSD vs control) for at least 25 weeks exhibited glucose intolerance, obesity and diastolic dysfunction (echo E/e'). Intact paced cardiomyocytes were functionally investigated in three conditions: non-loaded, loaded and stretched. Mean stiffness of HFSD cardiomyocytes was 70% higher than control. The E/e' doppler ratio for the origin hearts was elevated by 35%. A significant relationship was identified between in vitro cardiomyocyte stiffness and in vivo dysfunction severity. With conversion from non-loaded to loaded condition, the decrement in maximal sarcomere lengthening rate was more accentuated in HFSD cardiomyocytes (vs control). With stretch, the Ca 2+ transient decay time course was prolonged. With transition from 2-4Hz pacing, HFSD cardiomyocyte stiffness was further increased, yet diastolic Ca 2+ rise was 50% less than control. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that a component of cardiac diastolic dysfunction in cardiometabolic disease is derived from intrinsic cardiomyocyte mechanical abnormality. Differential responses to load, stretch and pacing suggest that a previously undescribed alteration in myofilament-Ca 2+ interaction contributes to cardiomyocyte stiffness in cardiometabolic disease.

KEY POINTS

Understanding cardiomyocyte stiffness components is an important priority for identifying new therapeutics for diastolic dysfunction, a key feature of cardiometabolic disease. In this study cardiac function was measured in vivo (echocardiography) for mice fed a high-fat/sugar diet (HFSD, ≥25weeks) and performance of intact isolated cardiomyocytes derived from the same hearts was measured during pacing under non-loaded, loaded and stretched conditions in vitro . Using a calibrated cardiomyocyte stretch protocol, stiffness (stress/strain) was elevated in HFSD cardiomyocytes in vitro and correlated with diastolic dysfunction (E/e') in vivo . The HFSD cardiomyocyte Ca 2+ transient decay was prolonged in response to stretch, and stiffness was accentuated in response to pacing increase while the rise in diastolic Ca 2+ was attenuated. These findings suggest that stretch-dependent augmentation of the myofilament-Ca 2+ response during diastole partially underlies elevated cardiomyocyte stiffness and diastolic dysfunction of hearts of animals with cardiometabolic disease.

The two different profiles in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and type 2 diabetes mellitus: ischemic and diabetic

OBJECTIVE

Two profiles of patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) can be discerned: those with ischemic and those with diabetic cardiomyopathy (DMC). We aim to analyze clinical differences and prognosis between patients of these two profiles.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This cohort study analyzes data from the Spanish Heart Failure Registry, a multicenter, prospective registry that enrolled patients admitted for decompensated heart failure and followed them for one year. Three groups were created according to the presence of T2DM and heart disease depending on the etiology (ischemic when coronary artery disease was present, or DMC when no coronary, valvular, or congenital heart disease; no hypertension; nor infiltrative cardiovascular disease observed on an endomyocardial biopsy). The groups and outcomes were compared.

RESULTS

A total of 466 patients were analyzed. Group 1 (n = 210) included patients with ischemic etiology and T2DM. Group 2 (n = 112) included patients with DMC etiology and T2DM. Group 3 (n = 144), a control group, included patients with ischemic etiology and without T2DM. Group 1 had more hypertension and dyslipidemia; group 2 had more atrial fibrillation (AF) and higher body mass index; group 3 had more chronic kidney disease and were older. In the regression analysis, group 3 had a better prognosis than group 1 (reference group) for cardiovascular mortality and HF readmissions (HR 0.44;95%CI 0.2-1; p = .049).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with T2DM and HFpEF, who had the poorest prognosis, were of two different profiles: either ischemic or DMC etiology. The first had a higher burden of cardiovascular disease and inflammation whereas the second had a higher prevalence of obesity and AF. The first had a slightly poorer prognosis than the second, though this finding was not significant.

Diabetes mellitus does not alter mortality or hospitalisation risk in patients with newly diagnosed heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: Time to rethink pathophysiological models of disease progression

INTRODUCTION

Type 2 diabetes is a common and adverse prognostic co-morbidity for patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The effect of diabetes on long-term outcomes for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is less established.

METHODS

Prospective cohort study of patients referred to a regional HF clinic with newly diagnosed with HFrEF and HFpEF according to the 2016 European Society of Cardiology guidelines. The association between diabetes, all-cause mortality and hospitalisation was quantified using Kaplan-Meier or Cox regression analysis.

RESULTS

Between 1st May 2012 and 1st May 2013, of 960 unselected consecutive patients referred with suspected HF, 464 and 314 patients met the criteria for HFpEF and HFrEF respectively. Within HFpEF and HFrEF groups, patients with diabetes were more frequently male and in both groups patients with diabetes were more likely to be treated with β-adrenoceptor antagonists and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors. After adjustment for age, sex, medical therapy and co-morbidities, diabetes was associated with increased mortality in individuals with HFrEF (HR 1.46 95% CI: 1.05-2.02; p = .023), but not in those with HFpEF (HR 1.26 95% CI 0.92-1.72; p = .146).

CONCLUSION

In unselected patients with newly diagnosed HF, diabetes is not an adverse prognostic marker in patients with HFpEF, but is in HFrEF.

Advance in the pharmacological and comorbidities management of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: evidence from clinical trials

The prevalence of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) accounts for approximately 50% of the total heart failure population, and with the aging of the population and the increasing prevalence of hypertension, obesity, and type 2 diabetes (T2DM), the incidence of HFpEF continues to rise and has become the most common subtype of heart failure. Compared with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, HFpEF has a more complex pathophysiology and is more often associated with hypertension, T2DM, obesity, atrial fibrillation, renal insufficiency, pulmonary hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, and other comorbidities. HFpEF has generally been considered a syndrome with high phenotypic heterogeneity, and no effective treatments have been shown to reduce mortality to date. Diuretics and comorbidity management are traditional treatments for HFpEF; however, they are mostly empirical due to a lack of clinical evidence in the setting of HFpEF. With the EMPEROR-Preserved and DELIVER results, sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors become the first evidence-based therapies to reduce rehospitalization for heart failure. Subgroup analyses of the PARAGON-HF, TOPCAT, and CHARM-Preserved trials suggest that angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors, spironolactone, and angiotensin II receptor blockers may be beneficial in patients at the lower end of the ejection fraction spectrum. Other potential pharmacotherapies represented by non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists finerenone and antifibrotic agent pirfenidone also hold promise for the treatment of HFpEF. This article intends to review the clinical evidence on current pharmacotherapies of HFpEF, as well as the comorbidities management of atrial fibrillation, hypertension, T2DM, obesity, pulmonary hypertension, renal insufficiency, obstructive sleep apnea, and iron deficiency, to optimize the clinical management of HFpEF.

The impact of type 2 diabetes mellitus on the clinical profile, myocardial fibrosis, and prognosis in non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

The impact of the coexistence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in patients with non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) on clinical profiles, myocardial fibrosis, and outcomes remain incompletely understood.

METHOD

A total of 1152 patients diagnosed with non-ischemic DCM were prospectively enrolled from June 2012 to October 2021 and categorized into T2DM and non-T2DM groups. Clinical characteristics, cardiac function, and myocardial fibrosis evaluated by CMR were compared between the two groups. The primary endpoint included both all-cause mortality and heart transplantation. Cause of mortality was classified into heart failure death, sudden cardiac death, and non-cardiac death. Cox regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier analysis were performed to identify the association between T2DM and clinical outcomes. Propensity score matching (PSM) cohort including 438 patients was analyzed to reduce the bias from confounding covariates.

RESULTS

Among the 1152 included DCM patients, 155 (13%) patients had T2DM. Patients with T2DM were older (55 ± 12 vs. 47 ± 14 years, P < 0.001), had higher New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class (P = 0.003), higher prevalence of hypertension (37% vs. 21%, P < 0.001), atrial fibrillation (31% vs. 16%, P < 0.001), lower left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) (23 ± 9% vs. 27 ± 12%, P < 0.001), higher late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) presence (55% vs. 45%, P = 0.02), and significantly elevated native T1 (1323 ± 81ms vs. 1305 ± 73ms, P = 0.01) and extracellular volume fraction (ECV) (32.7 ± 6.3% vs. 31.3 ± 5.9%, P = 0.01) values. After a median follow-up of 38 months (interquartile range: 20-57 months), 239 patients reached primary endpoint. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that patients with T2DM had worse clinical outcomes compared with those without T2DM in the overall cohort (annual events rate: 10.2% vs. 5.7%, P < 0.001). T2DM was independently associated with an increased risk of primary endpoint in the overall (Hazard ratio [HR]: 1.61, 95% CI: 1.13-2.33, P = 0.01) and PSM (HR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.05-2.24, P = 0.02) cohorts. Furthermore, T2DM was associated with a higher risk of heart failure death (P = 0.006) and non-cardiac death (P = 0.02), but not sudden cardiac death (P = 0.16).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with T2DM represented a more severe clinical profile and experienced more adverse outcomes compared to those without T2DM in a large DCM cohort.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Trial registration number: ChiCTR1800017058; URL: https://www.

CLINICALTRIALS

gov .

The Interplay of Comorbidities in Chronic Heart Failure: Challenges and Solutions

BACKGROUND

Chronic heart failure (HF) is frequently associated with various comorbidities. These comorbid conditions, such as anemia, diabetes mellitus, renal insufficiency, and sleep apnea, can significantly impact the prognosis of patients with HF.

OBJECTIVE

This review aims to synthesize current evidence on the prevalence, impact, and management of comorbidities in patients with chronic HF.

METHODS

A comprehensive review was conducted, with a rigorous selection process. Out of an initial pool of 59,030 articles identified across various research modalities, 134 articles were chosen for inclusion. The selection spanned various research methods, from randomized controlled trials to observational studies.

RESULTS

Comorbidities are highly prevalent in patients with HF and contribute to increased hospitalization rates and mortality. Despite advances in therapies for HF with reduced ejection fraction, options for treating HF with preserved ejection fraction remain sparse. Existing treatment protocols often lack standardization, reflecting a limited understanding of the intricate relationships between HF and associated comorbidities.

CONCLUSION

There is a pressing need for a multidisciplinary, tailored approach to manage HF and its intricate comorbidities. This review underscores the importance of ongoing research efforts to devise targeted treatment strategies for HF patients with various comorbid conditions.

A review of the impact, pathophysiology, and management of atrial fibrillation in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

Patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and atrial fibrillation (AF) have increased mortality and increased risk of stroke. Due to the heterogeneous nature of both disease processes, it is difficult to ascertain whether the diagnosis and progression of AF is the cause of deterioration or if it is a symptom of worsening heart failure. This presents physicians with a clinical conundrum of whether optimizing their heart failure will decrease the overall AF burden or if restoration of sinus rhythm is necessary to optimize patients with HFpEF. In this paper, we will review the impact of AF in patients with HFpEF, the pathophysiology and heterogeneity of HFpEF and AF, and the management of these patients. As HFpEF and AF become more prevalent, managing these disease processes needs standardization to improve outcomes. Further research is needed to understand the complex interplay between AF and HFpEF to help determine the best management strategy.

Association between the triglyceride glucose (TyG) index and the risk of acute kidney injury in critically ill patients with heart failure: analysis of the MIMIC-IV database

BACKGROUND

Insulin resistance (IR) can be effectively assessed using the dependable surrogate biomarker triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index. In various critical care contexts, like contrast-induced acute kidney injury (AKI), an elevated TyG index has demonstrated a robust correlation with the incidence of AKI. Nonetheless, the potential of the TyG index to predict AKI in critically ill patients with heart failure (HF) remains uncertain.

METHODS

A cohort of participants was non-consecutively selected from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) database and divided into quartiles based on their TyG index values. The incidence of AKI was the primary outcome. The secondary endpoint was in-hospital mortality within both the whole study population and the subset of AKI patients. The use of the renal replacement therapy (RRT) which represented the progression of AKI severity was also included as a secondary endpoint representing renal outcome. A restricted cubic splines model and Cox proportional hazards models were utilized to evaluate the association of TyG index with the risk of AKI in patients with HF in a critical condition. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was employed to estimate primary and secondary endpoint disparities across groups differentiated by their TyG index.

RESULTS

This study included a total of 1,393 patients, with 59% being male. The incidence of AKI was 82.8%. Cox proportional hazards analyses revealed a significant association between TyG index and the incidence of AKI in critically ill patients with HF. The restricted cubic splines model illustrated the linear relationship between higher TyG index and increased risk of AKI in this specific patient population. Furthermore, the Kaplan-Meier survival analyses unveiled statistically significant differences in the use of RRT across the subset of AKI patients based on the quartiles of the TyG index.

CONCLUSIONS

The results highlight the TyG index as a robust and independent predictor of the incidence of AKI and poor renal outcome in patients with HF in a critical condition. However, further confirmation of causality necessitates larger prospective studies.

Association Between Diabetes, Chronic Kidney Disease, and Outcomes in People With Heart Failure From Asia

Background

Diabetes mellitus (DM), chronic kidney disease (CKD), and heart failure (HF) are pathophysiologically linked and increasing in prevalence in Asian populations, but little is known about the interplay of DM and CKD on outcomes in HF.

Objectives

This study sought to investigate outcomes in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) vs heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) in relation to the presence of DM and CKD.

Methods

Using the multinational ASIAN-HF registry, we investigated associations between DM only, CKD only, and DM+CKD with: 1) composite of 1-year mortality or HF hospitalization; and 2) Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire scores, according to HF subtype.

Results

In 5,239 patients with HF (74.6% HFrEF, 25.4% HFpEF; mean age 63 years; 29.1% female), 1,107 (21.1%) had DM only, 1,087 (20.7%) had CKD only, and 1,400 (26.7%) had DM+CKD. Compared with patients without DM nor CKD, DM+CKD was associated with 1-year all-cause mortality or HF hospitalization in HFrEF (adjusted HR: 2.07; 95% CI: 1.68-2.55) and HFpEF (HR: 2.37; 95% CI: 1.40-4.02). In HFrEF, DM only and CKD only were associated with 1-year all-cause mortality or HF hospitalization (both HRs: 1.43; 95% CI: 1.14-1.80), while in HFpEF, CKD only (HR: 2.54; 95% CI: 1.46-4.41) but not DM only (HR: 1.01; 95% CI: 0.52-1.95) was associated with increased risk (interaction P < 0.01). Adjusted Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire scores were lower in patients with DM+CKD (HFrEF: mean 60.50, SEM 0.77, HFpEF: mean 70.10, SEM 1.06; P < 0.001) than with no DM or CKD (HFrEF: mean 66.00, SEM 0.65; and HFpEF: mean 75.80, SEM 0.99).

Conclusions

Combined DM and CKD adversely effected outcomes independently of HF subtype, with CKD a consistent predictor of worse outcomes. Strategies to prevent and treat DM and CKD in HF are urgently required.

Myocardial deformation imaging by 2D speckle tracking echocardiography for assessment of diastolic dysfunction in murine cardiopathology

Diastolic dysfunction is increasingly identified as a key, early onset subclinical condition characterizing cardiopathologies of rising prevalence, including diabetic heart disease and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Diastolic dysfunction characterization has important prognostic value in management of disease outcomes. Validated tools for in vivo monitoring of diastolic function in rodent models of diabetes are required for progress in pre-clinical cardiology studies. 2D speckle tracking echocardiography has emerged as a powerful tool for evaluating cardiac wall deformation throughout the cardiac cycle. The aim of this study was to examine the applicability of 2D speckle tracking echocardiography for comprehensive global and regional assessment of diastolic function in a pre-clinical murine model of cardio-metabolic disease. Type 2 diabetes (T2D) was induced in C57Bl/6 male mice using a high fat high sugar dietary intervention for 20 weeks. Significant impairment in left ventricle peak diastolic strain rate was evident in longitudinal, radial and circumferential planes in T2D mice. Peak diastolic velocity was similarly impaired in the longitudinal and radial planes. Regional analysis of longitudinal peak diastolic strain rate revealed that the anterior free left ventricular wall is particularly susceptible to T2D-induced diastolic dysfunction. These findings provide a significant advance on characterization of diastolic dysfunction in a pre-clinical mouse model of cardiopathology and offer a comprehensive suite of benchmark values for future pre-clinical cardiology studies.

WATCH-DM risk score predicts the prognosis of diabetic phenotype patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction

BACKGROUND

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a heterogeneous syndrome. Diabetes may identify an essential phenotype that significantly affects the prognosis of these patients. The WATCH-DM risk score has been validated for predicting the risk of heart failure in outpatients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but its ability to predict clinical outcomes in HFpEF patients with T2DM is unknown. We aimed to assess whether this risk score could predict the prognosis of diabetic phenotype patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction.

METHODS

We enrolled retrospectively 414 patients with HFpEF (70.03 ± 8.654 years, 58.70% female), including 203 (49.03%) type 2 diabetics. Diabetic HFpEF patients were stratified by baseline WATCH-DM risk score.

RESULTS

Diabetic HFpEF patients exhibited a trend toward more concentric remodeling/hypertrophy than nondiabetic HFpEF patients. When analyzed as a continuous variable, per 1-point increase in the WATCH-DM risk score was associated with increased risks of all-cause death (HR 1.181), cardiovascular death (HR 1.239), any hospitalization (HR 1.082), and HF hospitalization (HR 1.097). The AUC for the WATCH-DM risk score in predicting incident cardiovascular death (0.7061, 95% CI 0.6329-0.7792) was higher than that of all-cause death, any hospitalization, or HF hospitalization.

CONCLUSIONS

As a high-risk phenotype for heart failure, diabetic HFpEF necessitates early risk stratification and specific treatment. To the best of our knowledge, the current study is the first to demonstrate that the WATCH-DM score predicts poor outcomes in diabetic HFpEF patients. Its convenience may allow for quick risk assessments in busy clinical settings.

Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction: JACC Scientific Statement

The incidence and prevalence of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) continue to rise in tandem with the increasing age and burdens of obesity, sedentariness, and cardiometabolic disorders. Despite recent advances in the understanding of its pathophysiological effects on the heart, lungs, and extracardiac tissues, and introduction of new, easily implemented approaches to diagnosis, HFpEF remains under-recognized in everyday practice. This under-recognition presents an even greater concern given the recent identification of highly effective pharmacologic-based and lifestyle-based treatments that can improve clinical status and reduce morbidity and mortality. HFpEF is a heterogenous syndrome and recent studies have suggested an important role for careful, pathophysiological-based phenotyping to improve patient characterization and to better individualize treatment. In this JACC Scientific Statement, we provide an in-depth and updated examination of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of HFpEF.

How to Manage Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction: Practical Guidance for Clinicians

Although patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) (left ventricular ejection fraction ≥50%) comprise nearly half of those with chronic heart failure, evidence-based treatment options for this population have historically been limited. Recently, however, emerging data from prospective, randomized trials enrolling patients with HFpEF have greatly altered the range of pharmacologic options to modify disease progression in selected patients with HFpEF. In the context of this evolving landscape, clinicians are increasingly in need of practical guidance regarding the best approach to management of this growing population. In this review, we build on the recently published heart failure guidelines by integrating contemporary data from recent randomized trials to provide a contemporary framework for diagnosis and evidence-based treatment of patients with HFpEF. Where gaps in knowledge persist, we provide "best available" data from post hoc analyses of clinical trials or data from observational studies to guide management until more definitive studies are available.

Prediabetes as a risk factor for new-onset atrial fibrillation: the propensity-score matching cohort analyzed using the Cox regression model coupled with the random survival forest

BACKGROUND

The glycemic continuum often indicates a gradual decline in insulin sensitivity leading to an increase in glucose levels. Although prediabetes is an established risk factor for both macrovascular and microvascular diseases, whether prediabetes is independently associated with the risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF), particularly the occurrence time, has not been well studied using a high-quality research design in combination with statistical machine-learning algorithms.

METHODS

Using data available from electronic medical records collected from the National Taiwan University Hospital, a tertiary medical center in Taiwan, we conducted a retrospective cohort study consisting 174,835 adult patients between 2014 and 2019 to investigate the relationship between prediabetes and AF. To render patients with prediabetes as comparable to those with normal glucose test, a propensity-score matching design was used to select the matched pairs of two groups with a 1:1 ratio. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to compare the cumulative risk of AF between prediabetes and normal glucose test using log-rank test. The multivariable Cox regression model was employed to estimate adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for prediabetes versus normal glucose test by stratifying three levels of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c). The machine-learning algorithm using the random survival forest (RSF) method was further used to identify the importance of clinical factors associated with AF in patients with prediabetes.

RESULTS

A sample of 14,309 pairs of patients with prediabetes and normal glucose test result were selected. The incidence of AF was 11.6 cases per 1000 person-years during a median follow-up period of 47.1 months. The Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that the risk of AF was significantly higher in patients with prediabetes (log-rank p < 0.001). The multivariable Cox regression model indicated that prediabetes was independently associated with a significant increased risk of AF (HR 1.24, 95% confidence interval 1.11-1.39, p < 0.001), particularly for patients with HbA1c above 5.5%. The RSF method identified elevated N-terminal natriuretic peptide and altered left heart structure as the two most important risk factors for AF among patients with prediabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study found that prediabetes is independently associated with a higher risk of AF. Furthermore, alterations in left heart structure make a significant contribution to this elevated risk, and these structural changes may begin during the prediabetes stage.

Obesity and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: new insights and pathophysiological targets

Obesity and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) represent two intermingling epidemics driving perhaps the greatest unmet health problem in cardiovascular medicine in the 21st century. Many patients with HFpEF are either overweight or obese, and recent data have shown that increased body fat and its attendant metabolic sequelae have widespread, protean effects systemically and on the cardiovascular system leading to symptomatic HFpEF. The paucity of effective therapies in HFpEF underscores the importance of understanding the distinct pathophysiological mechanisms of obese HFpEF to develop novel therapies. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular features of the obese phenotype of HFpEF, how increased adiposity might pathophysiologically contribute to the phenotype, and how these processes might be targeted therapeutically.

Insulin resistance and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Pathogenetic and therapeutic crossroads

Insulin resistance, which is a fundamental pathogenetic factor of prediabetes, is closely associated with abdominal obesity on the one hand and the development of cardiovascular diseases, heart failure (HF), on the other. The pathogenetic role of insulin resistance is multifaceted and consists in the acceleration of atherosclerosis, the formation of left ventricular myocardial hypertrophy, including through mechanisms that do not depend on blood pressure, as well as the development of its diastolic dysfunction. The latter is the starting point for starting HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).

Compared with patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction, the presence of HFpEF determines a higher frequency of hospitalizations not due to decompensation of heart failure, but due to concomitant diseases, such as destabilization of the course of arterial hypertension, decompensation of type 2 diabetes mellitus, curation of which, in general, has a greater impact in terms of improving prognosis. Thus, in patients with prediabetes and HFpEF, the correction of insulin resistance as the underlying cause and trigger of cardiometabolic disorders can potentially improve not only insulin-glucose homeostasis, but also the parameters of myocardial diastolic function. This literature review is devoted to the accumulated experience of using metformin as a «strategic» antidiabetic drug in HFpEF and considering potential new points of its application as a protector of the cardiovascular system.

1-h post-load plasma glucose for detecting early stages of prediabetes

Prediabetes is a very prevalent condition associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes and/or other chronic complications, in particular cardiovascular disorders. Early detection is therefore mandatory since therapeutic interventions may limit the development of these complications. Diagnosis of prediabetes is currently based on glycemic criteria (fasting plasma glucose (PG), and/or glycemia at 120 min during a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and/or glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Accumulating longitudinal evidence suggests that a 1-hour PG ≥155 mg/dl (8.6 mmol/l) during the OGTT is an earlier marker of prediabetes than fasting PG, 2-h post-load PG, or HbA1c. There is substantial evidence demonstrating that the 1-h post-load PG is a more sensitive predictor of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, microangiopathy and mortality compared with conventional glucose criteria. The aim of this review is to highlight the paramount importance of detecting prediabetes early in its pathophysiological course. Accordingly, as recommended by an international panel in a recent petition, 1-h post-load PG could replace current criteria for diagnosing early stages of "prediabetes" before prediabetes evolves as conventionally defined.

Empagliflozin for Heart Failure With Preserved Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction With and Without Diabetes

BACKGROUND

Empagliflozin improves outcomes in patients with heart failure with a preserved ejection fraction, but whether the effects are consistent in patients with and without diabetes remains to be elucidated.

METHODS

Patients with class II through IV heart failure and a left ventricular ejection fraction >40% were randomized to receive empagliflozin 10 mg or placebo in addition to usual therapy. We undertook a prespecified analysis comparing the effects of empagliflozin versus placebo in patients with and without diabetes.

RESULTS

Of the 5988 patients enrolled, 2938 (49%) had diabetes. The risk of the primary outcome (first hospitalization for heart failure or cardiovascular death), total hospitalizations for heart failure, and estimated glomerular filtration rate decline was higher in patients with diabetes. Empagliflozin reduced the rate of the primary outcome irrespective of diabetes status (hazard ratio, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.67, 0.94] for patients with diabetes versus hazard ratio, 0.78 [95% CI, 0.64, 0.95] in patients without diabetes; P_interaction=0.92). The effect of empagliflozin to reduce total hospitalizations for heart failure was also consistent in patients with and without diabetes. The effect of empagliflozin to attenuate estimated glomerular filtration rate decline during double-blind treatment was also present in patients with and without diabetes, although more pronounced in patients with diabetes (1.77 in diabetes versus 0.98 mL/min/1.73m² in patients without diabetes; P_interaction=0.01). Across these 3 end points, the effect of empagliflozin did not differ in patients with prediabetes or normoglycemia (33% and 18% of the patient population, respectively). When investigated as a continuous variable, baseline hemoglobin A1c did not modify the effects on the primary outcome (P_interaction=0.26). There was no increased risk of hypoglycemic events in either subgroup as compared with placebo.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with heart failure and a preserved ejection fraction enrolled in the EMPEROR-Preserved (Empagliflozin Outcome Trial in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction), empagliflozin significantly reduced the risk of heart failure outcomes irrespective of diabetes status at baseline.

REGISTRATION

URL: https://www.

CLINICALTRIALS

gov; Unique identifier: NCT03057951.

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.

Effects of Sacubitril/Valsartan Versus Valsartan on Renal Function in Patients with and without Diabetes and Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction: Insights From PARAGON-HF

AIMS

Diabetes is associated with a faster rate of renal function decline in patients with heart failure (HF). Sacubitril/valsartan attenuates the deterioration of renal function to a greater extent in patients with diabetes and HF with reduced ejection fraction compared with renin-angiotensin-system inhibitors alone. We assessed whether the same may be true in HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).

METHODS AND RESULTS

In the PARAGON-HF trial in patients with HF and LVEF of 45% or greater (n=4,796), we characterized the effects of sacubitril/valsartan on changes in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) over a period of 192 weeks, and on the prespecified renal composite outcome (eGFR reduction of ≥50%, end-stage renal disease, or death attributable to renal causes) in patients with (n=2,388) and without diabetes (n=2,408). The decline in eGFR was greater in patients with diabetes than in those without (-2.6 vs. -1.7 mL/min per 1·73 m² per year, p<0.001), regardless of treatment assignment. Sacubitril/valsartan attenuated decline in eGFR similarly in patients with (-2.2 vs. -2.9 mL/min per 1·73 m² per year, p=0.001) and without diabetes (-1.5 vs. -2.0 mL/min per 1·73 m² per year, p=0.006) (P_interaction for difference in eGFR slopes = 0.40). Compared with valsartan, sacubitril/valsartan reduced the renal composite outcome similarly in patients without diabetes (HR 0.42 (95% CI 0.19-0.91) and those with diabetes (HR 0.54 (95% CI 0.33-0.89); P_interaction =0.59), as well as across a range of baseline HbA1c (P_interaction =0.71).

CONCLUSION

Sacubitril/valsartan, compared with valsartan, attenuates the decline of eGFR and reduces clinically relevant kidney events similarly among patients with HFpEF with and without diabetes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.