Prevalence of heart failure and trends in its pharmacological treatment between 2000 and 2017 among very old people

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to describe a population of very old people with heart failure (HF), to analyse the use of cardiovascular drugs over time, and to explore factors influencing cardiovascular drug treatment for this group.

METHODS

All participants with information regarding HF diagnosis were selected from the Umeå 85+/Gerontological Regional Database (GERDA). The people in GERDA are all ≥85 years old. Trained investigators performed structured interviews and assessments. Information regarding medications and diagnoses was obtained from the participants and from medical records. Medical diagnoses were reviewed and confirmed by an experienced geriatrician.

RESULTS

In this very old population, the prevalence of HF was 29.6% among women and 30.7% among men. Between 2000 and 2017, there was an increase in the use of renin-angiotensin (RAS) inhibitors (odds ratio [OR] 1.107, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.072-1.144) and beta-blockers (BBs) (OR 1.123, 95% CI 1.086-1.161) among persons with HF, whereas the prevalence of loop diuretics (OR 0.899, 95% CI 0.868-0.931) and digitalis (OR 0.864, 95% CI 0.828-0.901) decreased (p < 0.001 for all drug classes). Higher age was associated with lower use of RAS inhibitors and BBs.

CONCLUSION

In this HF population, the use of evidence-based medications for HF increased over time. This may be a sign of better awareness among prescribers regarding the under-prescribing of guidelines-recommended treatment to old people. Higher age associated with a lower prevalence of RAS inhibitors and BBs. This might indicate that further improvement is possible but could also represent a more cautious prescribing among frail very old individuals.

Physician and patient predictors of evidence-based prescribing in heart failure: a multilevel study

BACKGROUND

The management of patients with heart failure (HF) needs to account for changeable and complex individual clinical characteristics. The use of renin angiotensin system inhibitors (RAAS-I) to target doses is recommended by guidelines. But physicians seemingly do not sufficiently follow this recommendation, while little is known about the physician and patient predictors of adherence.

METHODS

To examine the coherence of primary care (PC) physicians' knowledge and self-perceived competencies regarding RAAS-I with their respective prescribing behavior being related to patient-associated barriers. Cross-sectional follow-up study after a randomized medical educational intervention trial with a seven month observation period. PC physicians (n = 37) and patients with systolic HF (n = 168) from practices in Baden-Wuerttemberg. Measurements were knowledge (blueprint-based multiple choice test), self-perceived competencies (questionnaire on global confidence in the therapy and on frequency of use of RAAS-I), and patient variables (age, gender, NYHA functional status, blood pressure, potassium level, renal function). Prescribing was collected from the trials' documentation. The target variable consisted of ≥50% of recommended RAAS-I dosage being investigated by two-level logistic regression models.

RESULTS

Patients (69% male, mean age 68.8 years) showed symptomatic and objectified left ventricular (NYHA II vs. III/IV: 51% vs. 49% and mean LVEF 33.3%) and renal (GFR<50%: 22%) impairment. Mean percentage of RAAS-I target dose was 47%, 59% of patients receiving ≥50%. Determinants of improved prescribing of RAAS-I were patient age (OR 0.95, CI 0.92-0.99, p = 0.01), physician's global self-confidence at follow-up (OR 1.09, CI 1.02-1.05, p = 0.01) and NYHA class (II vs. III/IV) (OR 0.63, CI 0.38-1.05, p = 0.08).

CONCLUSIONS

A change in physician's confidence as a predictor of RAAS-I dose increase is a new finding that might reflect an intervention effect of improved physicians' intention and that might foster novel strategies to improve safe evidence-based prescribing. These should include targeting knowledge, attitudes and skills.

Adherence to anti-osteoporotic regimens in a Southern Taiwanese population treated according to guidelines: a hospital-based study

AIM

This study was designed to investigate adherence to anti-osteoporotic regimens in a population following therapeutic guidelines; and to assess whether this experience differs from that in other administrative surveys.

METHODS

We reviewed an outpatient database to retrieve information on prescription of anti-osteoporotic medications at a medical centre in Taiwan from 2001 to 2007. Adherence was determined by compliance and persistence. Compliance was calculated by the medication possession ratio (MPR), and persistence by the time from treatment initiation to discontinuation. All anti-osteoporotic regimens were considered equivalent in this study.

RESULTS

A total of 3589 patients (3256 women and 333 men), with a mean age of 68.6 years, were included. The median MPR at 1 year and at 2 years were 99.7% (interquartile range [IQR] 26.8-100) and 61.4% (IQR 15.3-100), respectively. Good compliance (MPR ≥ 80%) was 56% at 1 year and 43% at 2 years. Regarding the 30-day refill gap, mean duration of persistence at 1 year and at 2 years was 243 and 400 days, respectively. About 50.8% of patients continued to receive therapy at 1 year, while 36.1% at 2 years. Our findings are not different from those of other claims-based studies. The subgroup with MPR ≥ 80% had a higher persistence rate than that with MPR < 80%.

CONCLUSION

Overall adherence to anti-osteoporotic regimens based on guidelines was sub-optimal in the current study. Our results are in line with previous studies using a claims database. Non-adherence commonly occurs early after drug initiation, which indicates that efforts should be made to improve adherence as soon as possible.

Improved pharmacological therapy of chronic heart failure in primary care: a randomized Study of NT-proBNP Guided Management of Heart Failure--SIGNAL-HF (Swedish Intervention study--Guidelines and NT-proBNP AnaLysis in Heart Failure)

AIMS

Treatment of chronic heart failure (CHF) guided by natriuretic peptides has been studied in clinical trials with conflicting results. The aim of this study was to investigate if N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP)-guided therapy in symptomatic heart failure patients in primary care would improve clinical outcomes over and above treatment according to guidelines.

METHODS AND RESULTS

SIGNAL-HF was a 9 month, randomized, single-blind, parallel group study in patients with CHF in NYHA class II-IV, ejection fraction (EF)<50% and elevated NT-proBNP levels (males>800, females>1000 ng/L). All investigators underwent a pre-study educational programme about current CHF guidelines. A control group managed by non-trained investigators was considered not possible for ethical and practical reasons. Patients were randomized to structured treatment of CHF according to guidelines with or without NT-proBNP monitoring. The choice and dose of therapy for CHF was at the investigator's discretion. The primary outcome variable was the composite endpoint of days alive, days out of hospital, and symptom score from the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire. In all, 252 patients were randomized. The allocation groups were well balanced with regards to age, NT-proBNP, and EF. Treatment doses of beta-blockers and blockers of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system were markedly increased towards target doses and to a similar degree in both groups. There were no differences between the groups concerning either the primary endpoint (P=0.28) or its components [cardiovascular (CV) death, P=0.93; CV hospitalization, P=0.88; or symptom score, P=0.28].

CONCLUSION

NT-proBNP-guided CHF treatment did not result in important improvements in clinical outcomes in patients with CHF in primary care above and beyond what could be achieved by education and structured CHF treatment according to guidelines.

Primary care-based multifaceted, interdisciplinary medical educational intervention for patients with systolic heart failure: lessons learned from a cluster randomised controlled trial

Background

Chronic (systolic) heart failure (CHF) is a common and disabling condition. Adherence to evidence-based guidelines in primary care has been shown to improve health outcomes. The aim was to explore the impact of a multidisciplinary educational intervention for general practitioners (GPs) (Train the trainer = TTT) on patient and performance outcomes.

Methods

This paper presents the key findings from the trial and discusses the lessons learned during the implementation of the TTT trial. Primary care practices were randomly assigned to the TTT intervention or to the control group. 37 GPs (18 TTT, 19 control) were randomised and 168 patients diagnosed with ascertained CHF (91 TTT, 77 control) were enrolled. GPs in the intervention group attended four meetings addressing clinical practice guidelines and pharmacotherapy feedback. The primary outcome was patient self-reported quality of life at seven months, using the SF-36 Physical Functioning scale. Secondary outcomes included other SF-36 scales, the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ), total mortality, heart failure hospital admissions, prescribing, depressive disorders (PHQ-9), behavioural change (European Heart Failure Self-Care Behaviour Scale), patient-perceived quality of care (EUROPEP) and improvement of heart failure using NT-proBNP-levels. Because recruitment targets were not achieved an exploratory analysis was conducted.

Results

There was high baseline achievement in both groups for many outcomes. At seven months, there were no significant mean difference between groups for the primary outcome measure (-3.3, 95%CI -9.7 to 3.1, p = 0.30). The only difference in secondary outcomes related to the prescribing of aldosterone antagonists by GPs in the intervention group, with significant between group differences at follow-up (42 vs. 24%, adjusted OR = 4.0, 95%CI 1.2–13; p = 0.02).

Conclusion

The intervention did not change the primary outcome or most secondary outcomes. Recruitment targets were not achieved and the under-recruitment of practices and patients alongside a selection bias of participating GPs, prohibit definite conclusions, but the CI indicates a non-effectiveness of the intervention in this sample. We describe the lessons learned from conducting the trial for the future planning and conduct of confirmatory trials in primary care.

Trial registration

ISRCTN08601529.