HFrEF patients with low SBP do tolerate target dose of ARNI

Background

Treatment with sacubitril/valsartan, at target doses, significantly reduces CV death, HF hospitalization, and all-cause mortality compared with enalapril, in patients with HFrEF [1]. Due to its dual mode of action, the sacubitril/valsartan combination induces greater BP reductions compared with ACEIs and ARBs, which may restrict its routine use in HFrEF patients with low SBP. Low SBP is associated with a poor prognosis and in a recent analysis from the Systolic Heart Failure Treatment trial, every 10-mmHg lower baseline SBP was associated with a 12% higher risk for all-cause mortality in patients with chronic HFrEF [2-4].

In this post hoc analysis of the TITRATION study [5], the relationship between SBP at screening and successful initiation and up-titration of sacubitril/valsartan was evaluated in HFrEF patients. Randomized patients were divided in the following 4 SBP groups at screening: 100–110 mmHg; 111–120 mmHg; 121–139 mmHg; and ≥140 mmHg. In each SBP group, treatment success was defined as the proportion of patients achieving and maintaining the sacubitril/valsartan target dose of 97 mg/103 mg twice per day without any dose interruption or down-titration for 12 weeks. Moreover, the tolerability success was defined as the proportion of patients that tolerated sacubitril/valsartan 97 mg/103 mg twice per day for at least the final 2 weeks leading to study completion, regardless of previous dose interruption or down-titration.

Main results

• Treatment success was highest in the two groups with SBP >120 mmHg, in which >80% of patients achieved and maintained the target dose of sacubitril/valsartan without any dose interruption or down-titration for 12 weeks. 76.1% of patients with SBP of 111–120 mmHg, and 72.7% of patients with SBP of 100–110 mmHg, achieved this target.
• 80.0% of patients with SBP ≤120 mmHg achieved treatment success with gradual up-titration, and 68.9% of patients with a more rapid up-titration regimen did.
• 85.2% of patients in the total cohort treated with sacubitril/valsartan achieved tolerability success. Tolerance was highest in patients with SBP in the range of 121–139 mmHg, among whom 90.6% achieved the target. 75.8% of patients with SBP of 100–110 mmHg, and 78.4% of patients with SBP of 111–120 mmHg achieved tolerability success.
• In both the SBP 100–110 mmHg and SBP 111–120 mmHg patient groups, the rate of successful tolerance was higher (approximately 82.0%) with gradual up-titration, while the great majority of patients with SBP of >120 mmHg achieved tolerability success regardless of the up-titration regimen.
• Patients in the lowest SBP category had the highest incidences of hypotension-related AEs.
• After 12 weeks, SBP was lower in all groups and in both up-titration regimens, with greater reductions in patients with higher SBP at screening. In patients with baseline SBP of 100–110 mmHg and gradual up-titration, the mean reduction in SBP at 12 weeks was 1.4±11.2 mmHg, and in those with more rapid up-titration it was 7.0±15.0 mmHg.

Conclusion

References

Find this article online at Eur J Heart Fail