Sacubitril/valsartan: preliminary experience in post-acute stabilized patients with reduced ejection fraction heart failure. (21st March 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Parisi, Cristian; De Giusti, Marco; Castello, Lorenzo; Dito, Eleonora; Proietti, Fabrizio; Tomai, Fabrizio
• Is Part Of: Current medical research and opinion. Volume 35(2019)Supplement 1
• Page Start: 17
• Page End: 20
• Publication Date: 2019-03-21
• Subjects: Sacubitril/valsartan -- heart failure -- echocardiography -- algorithm; Clinical medicine -- Periodicals; Therapeutics -- Periodicals; 615.5
• DOI: 10.1080/03007995.2019.1576485
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0300-7995

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction: We investigated the effectiveness of sacubitril/valsartan by performing laboratory tests and a 6-minute walking test (6-MWT) at 1 and 6 months after treatment initiation. Methods: We evaluated patients admitted to our Cardiology Department, stabilized after an episode of acute decompensated heart failure (HF), who were considered eligible for sacubitril/valsartan therapy. Therapy was initiated after interrupting angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors for at least 36 h or after the last dose of an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB). In naïve patients, we initiated a low dose of sacubitril/valsartan combination following patient stabilization. Before discharge, a 6-MWT was performed to evaluate patient's functional capacity, measuring total walked distance (in meters), oxygen saturation and heart rate at the beginning and at the end of the test; Borg Scale was applied to evaluate the intensity of dyspnoea. After discharge, follow-up visits at 1 and 6 months, 2D-echocardiography, blood tests and 6-MWT were performed to re-evaluate the efficacy of the treatment. Results: A total of 14 patients (85.7% males) were included. Mean age was 66.0 ± 10.3 years. Body mass index (BMI) was 29.9 ± 4.7 kg/m 2 . There were no differences in creatinine at admission compared with values at 1 and 6 months. Mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was 28.7 ± 4.7% at baseline and increased to 33.5 ± 6.6% and 38.0 ± 2.9% at 1 and 6 months, respectively ( p = .028). Total distance covered at 6-MWT increased over the study period (baseline: 227.4 ± 62.8 m; 6 months: 257.3 ± 65.2 m, p = .317) although the increase was not statistically significant. Conclusions: The present experience showed that angiotensin receptor–neprilysin inhibitor (ARNi) might represent a new valuable therapeutic strategy, even at the earlier stages of stabilized acute HF. Therefore, we suggest a clinical practice algorithm, to consider before discharge, which should be validated by further analyses.