Is forced titration of beta-blockers more effective than usual beta-blocker therapy in improving heart failure with reduced ejection fraction outcomes?

2020 ◽  
Vol Publish Ahead of Print ◽  
Author(s):  
Brittany Daniel ◽  
Amber Shadoan ◽  
Brooke Slaughter ◽  
Jonathan Hughes
2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
V Kutyifa ◽  
J W Erath ◽  
A Burch ◽  
B Assmus ◽  
D Bondermann ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Previous studies highlighted the importance of adequate heart rate control in heart failure patients, and suggested under-treatment with beta-blockers especially in women. However, data on women achieving effective heart rate control during beta-blocker therapy optimization are lacking. Methods The wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD) allows continuous monitoring of heart rate (HR) trends during WCD use. In the current study, we assessed resting HR trends (nighttime: midnight-7am) in women, both at the beginning of WCD use and at the end of WCD use to assess the adequacy of beta-blockade following a typical 3 months of therapy optimization with beta-blockers. An adequate heart rate control was defined as having a nighttime HR <70 bpm at the end of the 3 months. Results There were a total of 21,453 women with at least 30 days of WCD use (>140 hours WCD use on the first and last week). The mean age was 67 years (IQR 58–75). The mean nighttime heart rate was 72 bpm (IQR 65–81) at the beginning of WCD use, that decreased to 68 bpm (IQR 61–76) at the end of WCD use with therapy optimization. Women had an insufficient heart rate control with resting heart rate ≥70 bpm in 59% at the beginning of WCD use that decreased to 44% at the end of WCD use, but still remained surprisingly high. Interestingly, there were 21% of the women starting with HR ≥70 bpm at the beginning of use (BOU) who achieved adequate heart rate control by the end of use (EOU). Interestingly, 6% of women with adequate heart rate control at the start of therapy optimization ended up having higher heart rates >70 bpm at the end of the therapy optimization time period (Figure). Figure 1 Conclusions A significant proportion of women with heart failure and low ejection fraction do not reach an adequate heart rate control during the time of beta blocker initiation/titration. The wearble cardioverter defibrillator is a monitoring device that has been demonstrated in this study to appropriately identify patients with inadequate heart rate control at the end of the therapy optimization period. The WCD could be utilized to improve management of beta-blocker therapy in women and improve the achievement of adequate heart rate control in women.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
D N Silverman ◽  
T B Plante ◽  
M I Infeld ◽  
S P Juraschek ◽  
G Dougherty ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The use of beta-blockers for treatment of heart failure (HF) with a reduced ejection fraction (EF) is unequivocally beneficial, but their role in the treatment of preserved EF (HFpEF) remains unclear. Purpose In a contemporary HFpEF cohort, we sought to assess the association of HF hospitalizations and the use of beta-blockers in patients with an EF above and below 50%. Methods The TOPCAT trial tested spironolactone vs. placebo among patients with HFpEF, including some with mild reductions in EF between 45–50%. The primary outcome was a composite of cardiovascular (CV) mortality, aborted cardiac arrest, or HF hospitalizations. Medication use, including beta-blockers, was reported at each visit and hospitalization. In the 1,761 participants from the Americas, we compared the association of beta-blocker use (vs. no use) and HF hospitalization or CV mortality using Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for baseline demographics, history of myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and hypertension. The analyses were repeated in the EF strata ≥50% and <50%. Results Among patients included in the current analysis (mean age 72 years, 50% female, 78% white), 1,496/1,761 (85%) received beta-blockers and 1,566/1,761 (89%) had an EF ≥50%. HF hospitalizations and CV mortality occurred in 399/1,761 (23%) and 223/1,761 (13%) of participants, respectively. Beta-blocker use was associated with an increase in risk of HF hospitalization among patients with preserved EF ≥50% [HR 1.56, (95% CI 1.09–2.24), p=0.01] and was associated with a reduction in risk of hospitalization in patients with an EF <50% [HR 0.42, (95% CI 0.18- 0.99), p<0.05]. We found a significant interaction for EF threshold and beta-blocker use on incident HF hospitalizations (p=0.01). There were no differences in CV mortality. Figure 1. Kaplan Meier incidence plots Conclusions Beta-blocker use was associated with an increase in HF hospitalizations in patients with HFpEF (EF≥50%) but did not affect CV mortality. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and elucidate causality.


2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (Supplement_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Edouard L Fu ◽  
Alicia Uijl ◽  
Friedo W Dekker ◽  
Lars H Lund ◽  
Gianluigi Savarese ◽  
...  

Abstract Background and Aims Beta-blockers reduce mortality and morbidity in patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). However, patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) were underrepresented in landmark trials. We evaluated if beta-blockers are associated with improved survival in patients with HFrEF and advanced CKD. Method We identified 3906 persons with an ejection fraction &lt;40% and advanced CKD (eGFR &lt;30 mL/min/1.73m2) enrolled in the Swedish Heart Failure Registry during 2001-2016. The associations between beta-blocker use, 5-year all-cause mortality, and the composite of time to cardiovascular (CV) mortality/first HF hospitalization were assessed by multivariable Cox regression. Analyses were adjusted for 36 variables, including demographics, laboratory measures, comorbidities, medication use, medical procedures, and socioeconomic status. To assess consistency, the same analyses were performed in a positive control cohort of 12,673 patients with moderate CKD (eGFR &lt;60-30 mL/min/1.73m2). Results The majority (89%) of individuals with HFrEF and advanced CKD received treatment with beta-blockers. Median (IQR) age was 81 (74-86) years, 36% were women and median eGFR was 26 (20-28) mL/min/173m2. During 5 years of follow-up, 2086 (53.4%) individuals had a subsequent HF hospitalization, and 2954 (75.6%) individuals died, of which 2089 (70.1%) due to cardiovascular causes. Beta-blocker use was associated with a significant reduction in 5-year all-cause mortality [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 0.86; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.76-0.96)] and CV mortality/HF hospitalization (HR 0.87; 95% CI 0.77-0.98). The magnitude of the associations between beta-blocker use and outcomes was similar to that observed for HFrEF patients with mild/moderate CKD, with adjusted HRs for all-cause mortality and CV mortality/HF hospitalization of 0.85 (95% CI 0.78-0.91) and 0.88 (95% CI 0.82-0.96), respectively. Conclusion Despite lack of trial evidence, the use of beta-blockers in patients with HFrEF and advanced CKD was high in routine Swedish care, and was independently associated with reduced mortality to the same degree as HFrEF with moderate CKD.


Circulation ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 132 (suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mads E Jørgensen ◽  
Gunnar H Gislason ◽  
Christian Torp-Pedersen ◽  
Mark Hlatky ◽  
C harlotte Andersson

Objective: Beta blocker therapy in patients undergoing surgery is being revisited. Previous studies have demonstrated increased risks of perioperative adverse outcomes associated with beta blocker therapy, but whether some beta blocker subtypes may be superior to others remains unknown. Methods: Using nationwide Danish registries we included all non-cardiac surgeries in patients without heart failure or myocardial infarction in 2005-2011. Patients were grouped according to beta blocker use prior to surgery. Risks of 30-day MACE (major adverse cardiovascular events; non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke or cardiovascular death) were estimated using logistic regression models adjusted for gender, age, body mass index, pharmacotherapy, comorbidities, type of surgery and surgery risk. Results: We included 607,338 patients in the study. Patients on beta blockers (n=50,480) were older with similar gender distribution (mean age 66 years [sd=12.9], 45%male) compared with patients not on beta blockers (n=556,858) (mean age 52 years [sd=17.6], 44%male). Patients on beta blockers had more comorbidities and received more pharmacotherapy (all p<0.001). Unadjusted absolute risks of MACE were increased with all beta blocker subtypes (range 1.7% for propranolol to 4.2% for sotalol) compared with untreated patients (0.8%). Odds ratios for the risk of 30-day MACE are shown in the Figure Conclusion: Patients without chronic heart failure and prior myocardial infarction were at increased risk of 30-day perioperative MACE when treated with beta blockers, with the exception of bisoprolol. Patients treated with carvedilol seemed to be at especially high risk.


2010 ◽  
Vol 105 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Morteza Farasat ◽  
Dennis T. Bolger ◽  
Veena Shetty ◽  
Elizabeth P. Menachery ◽  
Gary Gerstenblith ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Baldeep K. Mann ◽  
Janpreet S. Bhandohal ◽  
Mohammad Saeed ◽  
Gerald Pekler

Background. Cocaine use is associated with multiple cardiovascular complications including heart failure. The use of different types of beta blockers in heart failure patients with active cocaine use is still a matter of debate. In this review, our objective is to systematically review the available literature regarding the use of beta blockers in the treatment of heart failure patients with concurrent cocaine use. Methods. PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Clinical Trials.gov were searched from inception to March 2019 using the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms “cocaine”, “heart failure”, “beta blocker,” and “cardiomyopathy”. Only studies containing the outcomes of heart failure patients with active cocaine use who were treated with beta blockers were included. Results. The search resulted in 2072 articles out of which 12 were finally included in the review. A total number of participants were 1994 with a median sample size of 111. Most of the studies were retrospective in nature with Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (OCEBM) Levels of Evidence from 3 to 5. The main primary outcomes included readmission rates, mortality, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) improvement, New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class, and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). In the studies analyzed, beta blockers were found to have either a beneficial or a neutral effect on primary outcomes in heart failure patients with active cocaine use. Conclusion. The use of beta blocker therapy appears to be safe and beneficial in heart failure patients with active cocaine use, although the evidence is not robust. Furthermore, large-scale studies are required to confirm this finding.


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