Heart Failure Guidelines Research Articles

Risk factors and effect of dyspnea inappropriate treatment in adults' emergency department: a retrospective cohort study.

Dyspnea is a frequent symptom in adults' emergency departments (EDs). Misdiagnosis at initial clinical examination is common, leading to early inappropriate treatment and increased in-hospital mortality. Risk factors of inappropriate treatment assessable at early examination remain undescribed herein. The objective of this study was to identify clinical risk factors of dyspnea and inappropriate treatment in patients admitted to ED. This is an observational retrospective cohort study. Patients over the age of 15 who were admitted to adult EDs of the University Hospital of Toulouse (France) with dyspnea were included from 1 July to 31 December 2019. The primary end-point was dyspnea and inappropriate treatment was initiated at ED. Inappropriate treatment was defined by looking at the final diagnosis of dyspnea at hospital discharge and early treatment provided. Afterward, this early treatment at ED was compared to the recommended treatment defined by the International Guidelines for Acute Heart Failure, bacterial pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma or pulmonary embolism. A total of 2123 patients were analyzed. Of these, 809 (38%) had inappropriate treatment in ED. Independent risk factors of inappropriate treatment were: age over 75 years (OR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.18-1.81), history of heart disease (OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.07-1.62) and lung disease (OR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.21-1.78), SpO 2 <90% (OR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.37-2.02), bilateral rale (OR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.01-1.66), focal cracklings (OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.05-1.66) and wheezing (OR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.31-2.03). In multivariate analysis, under-treatment significantly increased in-hospital mortality (OR, 2.13; 95% CI, 1.29-3.52) compared to appropriate treatment. Over-treatment nonsignificantly increased in-hospital mortality (OR, 1.43; 95% CI, 0.99-2.06). Inappropriate treatment is frequent in patients admitted to ED for dyspnea. Patients older than 75 years, with comorbidities (heart or lung disease), hypoxemia (SpO 2 <90%) or abnormal pulmonary auscultation (especially wheezing) are at risk of inappropriate treatment.

Adherence to Treatment Guidelines in Ambulatory Heart Failure Patients with Reduced Ejection Fraction in a Latin-American Country: Observational Study of the Colombian Heart Failure Registry (RECOLFACA)

Introduction: Although several guidelines recommend that patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) be treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin II receptor blockers (ACEIs/ARBs) or angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors (ARNIs), beta-blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs), and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor (SGLT2i), there are still several gaps in their prescription and dosage in Colombia. This study aimed to describe the use patterns of HFrEF treatments in the Colombian Heart Failure Registry (RECOLFACA). Methods: Patients with HFrEF enrolled in RECOLFACA during 2017–2019 were included. Heart failure (HF) medication prescription and daily dose were assessed using absolute numbers and proportions. Therapeutic schemes of patients treated by internal medicine specialists were compared with those treated by cardiologists. Results: Out of 2,528 patients in the registry, 1,384 (54.7%) had HFrEF. Among those individuals, 88.9% were prescribed beta-blockers, 72.3% with ACEI/ARBs, 67.9% with MRAs, and 13.1% with ARNIs. Moreover, less than a third of the total patients reached the target doses recommended by the European HF guidelines. No significant differences in the therapeutic schemes or target doses were observed between patients treated by internal medicine specialists or cardiologists. Conclusion: Prescription rates and target dose achievement are suboptimal in Colombia. Nevertheless, RECOLFACA had one of the highest prescription rates of beta-blockers and MRAs compared to some of the most recent HF registries. However, ARNIs remain underprescribed. Continuous registry updates can improve the identification of patients suitable for ARNI and SGLT2i therapy to promote their use in clinical practice.

Predictors of the Development of Associated Clinical Conditions in Working-Age Patients With Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Conditions of High Adherence to Treatment.

To determine predictors for the development of associated clinical conditions (ACC) in patients of working age with cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) in the conditions of high compliance with the treatment and healthy lifestyle (HLS). The study included 364 patients with CVRFs without target organ damage and a history of ACC. Mean age was 42.24±8.08 years. Patients were examined in consistency with the Russian Society of Cardiology (RSC) 2020 guidelines for arterial hypertension and chronic heart failure. The follow-up period was 6.45±0.42 years. 350 patients completed the study, 9 patients died during the follow-up period, and 5 were lost to follow-up. Patients were divided into two groups based on the development of ACC. The first group consisted of 56 (16%) patients with verified ACC, the second group included 294 (84%) patients without ACC. Regression logistic and correlation analyses confirmed the prognostic significance for the development of ACC by 12 indicators. The risk of ACC in smokers was increased more than 7 times (odds ratio (OR) 7.44, 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.42-16.21), and when type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) developed, more than 9 times (OR 9.47, 95% CI: 4.36-20.59); with chronic kidney disease (CKD), more than 6 times (OR 6.75, 95% CI: 3.41-13, 37); with a history of COVID-19 (COronaVIrus Disease 2019) pneumonia, 7 times (OR 7.11, 95% CI: 3.04-16.58); with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), 6 times (OR 6, 35, 95% CI: 3.14-12.83); with CAVI index&gt;7.2, almost 3 times (OR 2.69, 95% CI: 1.48-4.86); with PVWcf (carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity) &gt;13 m/s, more than 5 times (OR 5.61, 95% CI: 2.79-11.28); with R-AI index (augmentation index) &gt;1, more than 2 times (OR 2.26, 95% CI: 1.3-3.9); and with an increase in the indexed left atrial volume (ILAV) &gt;27 ml/m2, more than 8 times (OR 8.80, 95% CI: 4.61-16.79). In the presence of polymorphisms in the form of homozygosity for the minor allele of the AGT gene (Thr174Met, rs4762), the risk of developing ACC increased 14 times (OR 14.13, 95% CI: 4.69-42.57), the APOE gene (Cys130Arg, rs429358), 11 times (OR 11.18, 95% CI: 4.18-29.93), and in the intron of the PRARα gene (rs4253778), 8 times (OR 8.11, 95% CI: 3.75-17.53). The development of ACC in patients with high compliance with treatment and a healthy lifestyle is associated with smoking, type 2 diabetes and CKD, a history of COVID-19 pneumonia, LVH, increased ILAV &gt;27 g/m2, more pronounced arterial stiffness assessed by an increase in CAVI indices &gt;7.2, R-AI &gt;1, and PWVcf &gt;13 m/s; and with the presence of polymorphism of the AGT, APOE and PPARα genes in the form of homozygosity for the minor allele.

Estimating the clinical and budgetary impact of using angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor as first line therapy in patients with HFrEF.

Recent updates of international treatment guidelines for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) differ regarding the use of angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI) as first-line treatment. The American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology/Heart Failure Society of America (AHA/ACC/HFSA) 2022 guidelines gives ARNI a Class IA recommendation for HFrEF patients while the European Society of Cardiology's guidelines are less clear when ARNI could be considered as first line treatment option in de novo patients. This study aimed to model the clinical and budgetary outcomes of implementing these guidelines, comparing conservative ARNI prescription patterns with less conservative in Sweden and in the United Kingdom. A health economic model was developed to compare different treatment patterns for HFrEF. Incident cohorts were included on an annual basis and followed over 10years. The model included treatment specific all-cause mortality and hospitalization rates, as well as drug acquisition, monitoring, and hospitalization costs. Increasing the use of ARNI could lead to about 7000-12300 life years gained and 2600-4600 hospitalizations prevented in Sweden. These health benefits come with an additional cost of 112-195 million euros. Similar results were estimated for the United Kingdom, albeit on a larger population. Increasing the proportion of patients receiving ARNI instead of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors as first-line treatment of HFrEF will lead to a considerable number of additional life years gained and prevented hospitalizations but with additional cost in terms of health care expenditure in Sweden and in the United Kingdom.

Effects of cumulative cognitive function within 1-year of discharge on subsequent mortality among patients hospitalized for acute heart failure: A nationwide prospective cohort study.

To examine the association between cumulative cognitive function and subsequent mortality among patients hospitalized for acute heart failure (AHF). Based on a prospective cohort of patients hospitalized for AHF, cognitive function was measured by using Mini-Cog test at admission, 1- and 12-month following discharge. Cumulative cognitive function was interpreted by cumulative Mini-Cog score and cumulative times of cognitive impairment. Outcomes included subsequent all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. 1454 patients hospitalized for AHF with median follow-up of 4.76 (interquartile range [IQR]: 4.18-5.07) years were included. Tertile 1 of cumulative Mini-Cog score had the highest risk of all-cause (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.52, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.14-2.03) and cardiovascular mortality (HR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.02-1.93) compared with Tertile 3; patients with ≥ 2 times of cognitive impairment had the highest risk of all-cause (HR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.03-1.73) and cardiovascular mortality (HR: 1.25, 95% CI: 0.93-1.67) compared with patients without any cognitive impairment. Cumulative Mini-Cog score provided the highest incremental prognostic ability in predicting all-cause (C-statistics: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.61-0.66) and cardiovascular mortality (C-statistics: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.60-0.67) risk on the basis of Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure score. Poor cumulative cognitive function was associated with increased risk of subsequent mortality and provided incremental prognostic ability for the outcomes among patients with AHF. Longitudinal assessment and monitoring of cognitive function among patients with AHF would be of great importance in identifying patients at greater risk of self-care absence for optimizing personal disease management in clinical practice.

Bundled Payments for Care Improvement and Quality of Care and Outcomes in Heart Failure

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) program was launched in 2013 with a goal to improve care quality while lowering costs to Medicare. To compare changes in the quality and outcomes of care for patients hospitalized with heart failure according to hospital participation in the BPCI program. This cross-sectional study used a difference-in-difference approach to evaluate the BPCI program in 18 BPCI hospitals vs 211 same-state non-BPCI hospitals for various process-of-care measures and outcomes using American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure registry and CMS Medicare claims data from November 1, 2008, to August 31, 2018. Data were analyzed from May 2022 to May 2023. Hospital participation in CMS BPCI Model 2 Heart Failure, which paid hospitals in a fee-for-service process and then shared savings or required reimbursement depending on how the total cost of an episode of care compared with a target price. Primary end points included 7 quality-of-care measures. Secondary end points included 9 outcome measures, including in-hospital mortality and hospital-level risk-adjusted 30-day and 90-day all-cause readmission rate and mortality rate. During the study period, 8721 patients were hospitalized in the 23 BPCI hospitals and 94 530 patients were hospitalized in the 224 same-state non-BPCI hospitals. Less than a third of patients (30 723 patients, 29.8%) were 75 years or younger; 54 629 (52.9%) were female, and 48 622 (47.1%) were male. Hospital participation in BPCI Model 2 was not associated with significant differential changes in the odds of various process-of-care measures, except for a decreased odds of evidence-based β-blocker at discharge (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.63; 95% CI, 0.41-0.98; P = .04). Participation in the BPCI was not associated with a significant differential change in the odds of receiving angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers or angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors at discharge, receiving an aldosterone antagonist at discharge, having a cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT)-defibrillator or CRT pacemaker placed or prescribed at discharge, having implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) counseling or an ICD placed or prescribed at discharge, heart failure education being provided among eligible patients, or having a follow-up visit within 7 days or less. Participation in the BPCI was associated with a significant decrease in odds of in-hospital mortality (aOR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.51-0.86; P = .002). Participation was not associated with a significant differential change in hospital-level risk-adjusted 30-day or 90-day all-cause readmission rate and 30-day or 90-day all-cause mortality rate. In this study, hospital participation in the BPCI Model 2 Heart Failure program was not associated with improvement in process-of-care quality measures or 30-day or 90-day risk-adjusted all-cause mortality and readmission rates.

The Prognostic Accuracy of Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure Score Alone and with Lactate Among Acute Symptomatic Heart Failure Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

To evaluate the prognostic accuracy of the Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure (GWTG-HF) score, Shock Index (SI), Modified Shock Index (MSI), and Age Shock Index (Age-SI) alone and with lactate in patients with acute symptomatic heart failure (HF). A retrospective cohort study was conducted in the emergency department of a tertiary hospital between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2019. Patients aged >18 years and diagnosed with acute symptomatic HF were consecutively included in the study. Patients referred from another center and missing medical records were excluded. Arrival type, vital parameters, demographic characteristics, comorbid diseases, consciousness status, laboratory results, and outcomes of the patients were recorded. The primary endpoint of the study was in-hospital mortality. A total of 368 patients were included in the final analysis. The in-hospital mortality rate of the patients was 7.6%. The GWTG-HF score outperformed other scores in predicting in-hospital, 24-hour, and 30-day mortality (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.807, 0.844, and 0.765, P <.001, respectively). The overall performance of the GWTG-HF score with lactate (GWTG-HF+L) was better in predicting in-hospital, 24-hour, and 30-day mortality than the original GWTG-HF score (AUC = 0.872, 0.936, and 0.801, P <.001, respectively). Adding lactate values to the SI, MSI, and Age-SI improved their overall performance for all 3 outcomes. Both the GWTG-HF and GWTG-HF+L scores have acceptable discriminatory power in patients with acute symptomatic HF. The GWTG-HF score, SI, MSI, and Age-SI can be used together with lactate to predict mortality in patients with acute HF.

Clinical Management Strategies of Cardiologists in Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction in Türkiye.

Integrating heart failure (HF) guideline recommendations into clinical practice takes time and is often suboptimal in real-life settings. Physician-related factors may be significant barriers to the adoption of these guidelines. This survey aims to assess the current opinions of cardiologists practicing in Türkiye regarding the management of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The survey comprised 22 questions and was published on the SurveyMonkey platform. A total of 177 cardiologists (mean age: 39.5 years; 73.3% male) participated in the survey. Of these, 38.7% worked in a training and research hospital, and 10.2% were specialists in HF. The threshold EF value to define HFrEF was ≤ 40% for 80.1% of the cardiologists. While 52.6% of physicians considered angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNi) treatment the most effective medication for HF, 62.7% would initiate HF treatment with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi) instead of ARNi due to reimbursement and cost issues. More than half of the cardiologists (52.3%) stated that adding another class of HF medication is more important than up-titrating those already prescribed. Although 69.5% of the study participants indicated prescribing all four classes of HF medications during the initial hospitalization is feasible, most cardiologists preferred a sequential approach starting with ACEi/ARNi, followed by beta-blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs), and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i). This survey highlights significant discrepancies between guideline recommendations and the real-life clinical practice of cardiologists in Türkiye. These results suggest that there is a need for organized action by healthcare providers to improve the implementation of guideline recommendations.

Pre- and Post-Hemodialysis Differences in Heart Failure Diagnosis by Current Heart Failure Guidelines in Patients With End-Stage Renal Disease

Pre- and Post-Hemodialysis Differences in Heart Failure Diagnosis by Current Heart Failure Guidelines in Patients With End-Stage Renal Disease

Phenogroups and Their Prognosis of Acute Decompensated Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction.

Acute heart failure is an important cause of unplanned hospitalizations and poses a significant burden through increased mortality and frequent hospitalizations. Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) presents as a diverse condition characterized by complex cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular pathology. This study aimed to identify distinct clinical phenotypes in acute decompensated HFpEF (ADHF) using cluster analysis and assess their prognostic significance. We applied a latent class analysis to 1,281 ADHF patients admitted to a single cardiac intensive care unit between 2008 and 2022 with a left ventricular ejection fraction ≥ 50%. We used 83 factors obtained at hospitalization. We evaluated the association between phenogroups and clinical outcomes using either Cox regression model or Fine-Gray competing risk model. We identified 4 phenogroups: Phenogroup 1 (n = 133, 10%) included younger patients with metabolic disorders and a low level of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP); Phenogroup 2 (n = 346, 27%) had systemic congestion and high BNP levels; Phenogroup 3 (n = 514, 40%) had multiple comorbidities and vascular disorders; Phenogroup 4 (n = 288, 22%) included older patients with bradyarrhythmia and atrial fibrillation. After adjusting for age, sex, and Get with the Guidelines-Heart Failure risk score, Phenogroup 2 had the highest risk of all-cause death and cardiac death. In conclusion, we identified 4 clinically relevant phenogroups of ADHF patients, each associated with different adverse outcomes. Phenotyping may provide a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms involved in the heterogeneity of ADHF and decompensation. Furthermore, it may facilitate the search for phenotype-specific therapeutic strategies.

Adherence to the Clinical Practice Guidelines for the hospital management of patients with decompensated heart failure in a Coronary Care Unit in Colombia

To assess adherence to the recommendations for the diagnosis and management of hospitalized patients with Decompensated Heart Failure issued by the European Society of Cardiology in 2021 at a Coronary Care Unit at a fourth-level hospital in the city of Bogotá. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted, including hospitalized patients in the Coronary Care Unit at Hospital San José in Bogotá, with a primary diagnosis of Decompensated Heart Failure, from September 2021 to January 2023. Patient data were collected from medical records. Adherence to the Decompensated Heart Failure guidelines was described in the study. High adherence was observed for laboratory tests and medication prescriptions recommended by the 2021 European Society of Cardiology guidelines. However, there was low adherence to the request for thyroid function tests, troponin, and iron studies. The cause of heart failure and decompensation was adequately recorded. The most common cause of decompensation was acute coronary syndrome. Regarding the hemodynamic profile on admission, the majority presented as Stevenson B. Pharmacological adherence to Class I recommendations showed high compliance in prescribing beta-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, and Angiotensin Receptor-Neprilysin Inhibitors. However, lower adherence was observed for Sodium-glucose co-transporter two inhibitors and Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists. Variable adherence rates were recorded, emphasizing satisfactory compliance with class I recommendations for certain medications and laboratory tests. It is necessary to improve adherence in the request for paraclinicals, especially in thyroid function tests and ferrokinetic profiles.

Correlates of malnutrition in patients with heart failure: the role of social support.

Heart failure (HF) is a major public health challenge. Malnutrition has a significant effect on HF prognosis. Understanding the impact of social and clinical factors on the risk of malnutrition is necessary because it may aid in improving the health status of HF patients. Three hundred twenty patients with HF who were hospitalized in a heart centre in Shiraz, Iran, from March to November 2022 were studied. Two validated questionnaires were used to evaluate malnutrition and social support: (1) Mini-Nutritional Assessment Short Form and (2) Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey. The participants were then divided into three groups: those with normal nutritional status (scores 12-14), those at risk of malnutrition (scores 7-11), and those who were malnourished (scores 0-6). The potential correlates of malnutrition (including socio-demographic, clinical, comorbidities, and laboratory factors) were included in the study. Then, ordinal logistic regression was used to investigate the correlates of malnutrition. The mean age of the participants was 64.2±11.2years, and more than half were male and married. Normal nutritional status was seen in 110 (34.4%) participants, 151 (47.2%) were at risk of malnutrition, and 58 (18.1%) were malnourished. The mean social support score of the participants was 61.65±12.91. According to the adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) obtained from multivariate analysis, increased risk of malnutrition was associated with having a lower social support score [0.95 (0.93-0.97), P-value≤0.001], lower body mass index [0.91 (0.86-0.97), P-value=0.004], higher New York Heart Association classification [1.26 (1.02-1.56), P-value=0.03], longer duration of disease [1.006 (1.001-1.01), P-value=0.006], and lower serum albumin level [0.25 (0.08-0.75), P-value=0.01]. Besides the clinical conditions affecting the risk of malnutrition in patients with HF, social support may play an important role. Including this factor in HF guidelines and developing educational programmes may help improve HF patients' health.

Relationship between serum iron level and physical function in heart failure patients is lost by presence of diabetes.

Iron deficiency (ID) is common in patients with heart failure (HF) and is reportedly associated with exercise intolerance and impaired quality of life. Iron supplementation therapy in HF patients with ID improves exercise capacity. Conversely, protective roles of iron depletion in the development of diabetes mellitus (DM) and its complications have been proposed. This study aimed to determine the impact of ID on physical function in HF patients with and without DM. We enrolled consecutive patients who were admitted to our institute for HF diagnosis and management. The short physical performance battery (SPPB) was used to evaluate physical function, and low physical function was defined as an SPPB score of <10 points as individuals with SPPB scores of <10 points are most likely to be classified as frail and are at high risk for disability and future adverse events, including death. ID was defined as serum ferritin<100 or 100-299ng/mL when transferrin saturation (TSAT) was <20% according to the HF guidelines. Among the 562 HF patients (72±14years old; 56% male), 329 patients (58%) and 191 patients (34%) had ID and low physical function, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that TSAT as a continuous variable, but not ID, was a predictor of low physical function (odds ratio: 0.980, P=0.024). Subgroup analysis showed that a significant association between low TSAT and low physical function was lost in HF patients with DM (P for interaction<0.001). A spline dose-response curve for the relationship between TSAT and risk of low physical function with adjustments for covariates associated with low physical function in non-DM patients was almost linear with an increase in the risk of low physical function as the TSAT increased, but such a relationship was not found in the analyses of DM patients. A lack of close TSAT-SPPB relationship in HF patients with DM was confirmed also in a propensity-score-matched cohort. TSAT as a continuous variable, but not ID, was independently associated with physical function in HF patients, and a significant association was lost in patients with HF and DM, suggesting a limited impact of iron supplementation therapy in HF patients with DM.

Guideline implementation, drug sequencing, and quality of care in heart failure: design and rationale of TITRATE-HF.

Current heart failure (HF) guidelines recommend to prescribe four drug classes in patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). A clear challenge exists to adequately implement guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) regarding the sequencing of drugs and timely reaching target dose. It is largely unknown how the paradigm shift from a serial and sequential approach for drug therapy to early parallel application of the four drug classes will be executed in daily clinical practice, as well as the reason clinicians may not adhere to new guidelines. We present the design and rationale for the real-world TITRATE-HF study, which aims to assess sequencing strategies for GDMT initiation, dose titration patterns (order and speed), intolerance for GDMT, barriers for implementation, and long-term outcomes in patients with de novo, chronic, and worsening HF. A total of 4000 patients with HFrEF, HF with mildly reduced ejection fraction, and HF with improved ejection fraction will be enrolled in >40 Dutch centres with a follow-up of at least 3years. Data collection will include demographics, physical examination and vital parameters, electrocardiogram, laboratory measurements, echocardiogram, medication, and quality of life. Detailed information on titration steps will be collected for the four GDMT drug classes. Information will include date, primary reason for change, and potential intolerances. The primary clinical endpoints are HF-related hospitalizations, HF-related urgent visits with a need for intravenous diuretics, all-cause mortality, and cardiovascular mortality. TITRATE-HF is a real-world multicentre longitudinal registry that will provide unique information on contemporary GDMT implementation, sequencing strategies (order and speed), and prognosis in de novo, worsening, and chronic HF patients.

Impact and Sustainability of a Palliative Care Education Module in Patients With Heart Failure.

Approximately 6.7 million American adults are living with heart failure (HF). Current therapies are geared toward preventing progression and managing symptoms, as there is no cure. Multiple studies have shown the benefit of including palliative care (PC) in patients with HF to improve symptoms and quality of life. Heart failure guidelines recommend the inclusion of PC in therapy, but referrals are often delayed. A previous pilot project demonstrated increased involvement of PC when targeted education was given to patients with HF. Educate patients with HF on PC and examine the impact on PC consults, readmission, mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) transfers and evaluate sustainability of the intervention. Patients (n = 124) admitted to an academic hospital with a diagnosis of HF were asked to view an educational module on PC. Patients who completed the module were placed in the intervention group (n = 39). Patients who declined were placed in the usual care group (n = 38). The number of PC consults, re-admissions, mortality, and transfers to the ICU were compared among participants and those who declined. Results were compared to previous pilot project. Eleven patients in the intervention group (IG) requested a PC consult vs one in the usual care group (UCG) (P = .006). There was no statistically significant difference in readmissions, mortality, or ICU transfers between groups. This sustainable project again demonstrated education on PC increases utilization of PC but does not statistically impact mortality, re-admissions, or transfers to higher levels of care.

Integrating palliative care and heart failure: a systematic realist synthesis (PalliatHeartSynthesis)

Objectives(1) Develop a programme theory of why, for whom and in what contexts integrated palliative care (PC) and heart failure (HF) services work/do not work; (2) use the programme theory...

Developing an AI-based decision engine for disease-modifying therapy in heart failure – A pilot study

Abstract Aim Heart failure is an escalating burden on global health care systems. Modernizing heart failure care is inevitable, with eHealth products poised to play an important role. However, eHealth devices that can initiate and adjust heart failure medication are currently lacking. Consequently, this study aimed to develop an artificial intelligence-based decision engine to provide guideline-based recommendations for disease-modifying medication in heart failure patients. Methods and Results We developed the decision engine by converting the ESC heart failure guidelines into Business Process Model and Notation, a visual modeling language suitable for developing complex decision engines. A safety evaluation, based on clinical parameters, was conducted to ascertain the system’s applicability to specific cases. The decision engine renders specific decisions concerning disease- modifying therapy for heart failure patients. We defined 72 virtual heart failure patient scenarios, encompassing a broad spectrum of baseline characteristics and background medication. All recommendations offered by the engine were evaluated by an independent heart failure specialist. All but three recommendations (94%) were identical to the treatment decisions by the heart failure specialist and all (100%) were in line with the 2021 ESC heart failure guidelines. Conclusion The decision engine offers guideline-based recommendations for disease-modifying therapy, positioning it as a tool to enhance self-care among heart failure patients. To validate our results, the decision engine is being prospectively tested in real-world patients in a multicenter clinical trial (NCT04699253).

Optimization of GDMT for patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction: can physiological and biological barriers explain the gaps in adherence to heart failure guidelines?

Heart failure is a growing epidemic with high mortality rates and recurrent hospital admissions that creates a burden on affected individuals, their caregivers and the whole healthcare system. Throughout the years, many randomized trials have established the effectiveness of several pharmacological therapies and electrophysiological devices to reduce hospitalizations and improve quality of life and survival, mostly for patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). These studies led to the publication of national societies' recommendations to guide clinicians in the management of HFrEF. Yet, many reports have shown significant care gaps in adherence to these recommendations in clinical practice, highlighting suboptimal use and/or dosing of evidence-based therapies. Adherence to guidelines has been shown to be associated with the best prognosis in HFrEF, with patients presenting with intolerances or contraindications having the highest risk of events; however, it remains unclear whether this association is causal or merely a marker of more advanced disease. Furthermore, individual characteristics may limit the possibility of reaching the targeted dosage of specific agents. Herein, we provide a comprehensive overview of clinicians' adherence to heart failure guidelines in a specialized real-life setting, particularly regarding use and optimization of guideline-derived medical therapies, as well as the implementation of more recent agents such as sacubitril/valsartan and SGLT2 inhibitors. We seek potential explanations for suboptimal treatment and its impact on patient outcomes.

Characterization and evaluation of adherence to the Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure program in patients with acute heart failure in a hospital in Bogotá, 2016-2018: HUN-ICA cohort

Introducción: la adherencia a estándares de manejo en insuficiencia cardiaca como la iniciativa Get With the Guidelines (GWTG) de la AHA puede disminuir los reingresos y mortalidad. Objetivo: describir las características clínicas de pacientes hospitalizados por insuficiencia cardiaca aguda y evaluar la adherencia a estándares de práctica clínica del programa “Get With The Guidelines”, en un hospital universitario de Bogotá. Materiales y métodos: estudio observacional de la cohorte retrospectiva HUN-ICA correspondiente a 493 pacientes adultos hospitalizados entre abril 2016 y diciembre 2018 por insuficiencia cardiaca aguda, se registraron variables clínicas, tratamiento, mortalidad, reingresos y se evaluó adherencia a estándares de calidad del programa GWTG. Resultados: 52,1 % de la población fueron mujeres con una media de edad 75 años y el 67,8 % con FEVI &gt;40 %. La etiología más común fue hipertensiva 58,5 % y la mayor causa de descompensación infecciosa (28,8 %). Aumentó la adherencia al uso de betabloqueadores en pacientes con fracción de eyección reducida al egreso de 46 % respecto al ingreso y al uso de antagonistas de receptor mineralocorticoide en pacientes con FEVI reducida de 61,1 %. Discusión: la cohorte evaluada presentó un perfil hemodinámico, clínico y adherencia en el manejo similar a cohortes nacionales. Las dosis subóptimas de la medicación al egreso justifican la necesidad de clínicas ambulatorias de insuficiencia cardíaca. Conclusiones: Se encontró menor adherencia para uso y dosis óptimas de betabloqueadores y antagonista mineralocorticoide que la de la cohorte GWTG, con incremento del uso de terapia farmacológica entre el ingreso y el egreso hospitalario.

Heart failure early post-discharge appointment: a 1.5-year single-centre experience

Abstract Background According to Heart Failure (HF) guidelines, a follow-up visit should be conducted within 1 to 2 weeks after hospital discharge to monitor signs and symptoms of HF, optimize therapy, and evaluate treatment side effects. Retrospective studies have shown that this approach is associated with lower 30-day readmission rates. Purpose Our aim is to describe the role of early post-discharge appointment in the management of HF patients and to evaluate prognostic factors after HF hospitalization. Methods We conducted a single-centre prospective registry of consecutive patients evaluated in the early post-discharge appointment at our centre, from March 2021 to September 2022. HF symptoms, vital signs, blood test results, treatment decision, and 90-day HF events were recorded. Results Overall, 153 patients were included (mean age 65.7 ± 13.0 years, 63.4% male). The mean time from hospital discharge to post-discharge appointment was 13.4 ± 5.7 days. Left ventricle ejection fraction was reduced in 83.6% (n = 127) of patients. Guideline-directed medical treatment prescribed at discharge, as well as up-titration and withdrawal patterns at the post-discharge appointment, are presented in Table 1. At the post-discharge appointment, 34.3% of patients (n = 35) presented with drug adverse effects, most often including hyperkalemia (17.5%, n = 22), acute kidney injury (9.9%, n = 12), and hypotension (3.9%, n = 6). Of those evaluated at the post-discharge appointment, 11.2% (n = 17) were scheduled to another appointment one week later, for early re-evaluation, 90.1% (n = 137) were followed-up in the standard HF ambulatory program, and 2.6% (n = 4) were hospitalized. The serum creatinine (1.10 [0.87 – 1.36] mg/dL vs 1.40 [1.09 – 1.95] mg/dL, p&amp;lt;0.001), the serum C cystatin (1.50 [1.25 – 1.98] mg/dL vs 1.97 [1.54 – 2.46] mg/dL, p = 0.007) and the NT-proBNP levels (1859 [977 – 4877] mg/dL vs 5928 [2817 – 11957] mg/dL, p = 0.013), measured at the time of the post-discharge appointment, were found to be associated with HF events within 90 days (urgent HF visit or HF hospitalization). An NT-proBNP level above 2400 pg/mL adjusted to C cystatin was found to be a strong predictor of 90-day HF events (OR 9.855, 95% CI 2.657 – 36.550, p = 0.001). This model yielded a good prognostic performance (AUC 0.790, CI 95% 0.689-0.890, p&amp;lt;0.001). Conclusions Early evaluation of HF patients after hospital discharge allows for guideline-directed medical therapy up-titration and early detection of drug adverse effects. The NTproBNP level and kidney function, assessed early after discharge, have been found to be strong predictors of 90-day HF events, indicating which patients would benefit most from a stricter follow-up program. Table 1 – Guideline-directed medical therapy patterns of prescription both at hospital discharge and during the early post-discharge appointment. ACE, angiotensin converting enzyme; ARA, aldosterone receptor antagonist, MRA, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist.