Abstract 4135113: Referral to a Heart Failure Clinic Substantially Increases the Use of Angiotensin Receptor Neprilysin Inhibitor (ARNi) and Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 Inhibitor (SGLT2i) in Heart Failure Patients.

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Introduction: Addressing access to life-saving therapy is crucial in influencing health outcomes. The stark reality of limited access to pharmacological therapy for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), particularly novel drugs such as angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitors (ARNi) and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) for patients with heart failure (HF), underscores the challenges we face. Hypothesis: We analyze the impact of referring patients diagnosed with HF to our HF clinic by evaluating access to the 4 pillars of HFrEF, emphasizing cost-prohibiting pharmacological therapy, and assessing the efficacy of these medications when applied. Methods: This study compared 314 patients who live in counties within and outside the Penn State Health System. The data collected included healthcare insurance coverage, HF etiology, comorbidities, onset, initial and within six months post titration of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) echocardiogram, and medication dose. Results: Among patients referred to our HF clinic, 184 live in counties within, and 130 live outside the Penn State Health System. The average age was 64, 69.4% were male, and a significant number of patients had HFrEF (92.7%). The prevailing comorbidities between the 2 groups were hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes. Upon completion, there was a significant increase in ARNi (83.1%) and SGLT2i (65.3%) use in both groups. They both (within vs. outside) reached almost similar percentages of triple therapy (77.9% vs. 79.2%; p-value=0.78), except for quadruple therapy (36.4% vs. 44.6%; p-value=0.16) and maximum tolerated dose (83.3% vs. 75%; p-value=0.11). The overall mean ejection fraction (EF) in both groups demonstrated significant improvement from pre-EF (30.5%) to post-EF (45.9%). Conclusion: Despite their location, patients referred to the HF clinic experienced intensified use of cost-prohibiting medications such as ARNi and SGLT2i, compared to the current gap in GDMT use. After optimizing GDMT, both groups had markedly improved EF. These findings suggest that referral to a HF clinic is a promising strategy for addressing the use of life-saving therapy and potentially reducing adverse health outcomes.