Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy and Survival Following Hospitalization in Patients with Heart Failure

Richard H. Tran, Ahmed Aldemerdash, Patricia Chang, Carla A. Sueta, Brystana Kaufman, Josephine Asafu-adjei, Orly Vardeny, Eliza Daubert, Khalid A. Alburikan, Anna M. Kucharska-Newton, Sally C. Stearns, Jo E. Rodgers

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

64 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Modification of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) in hospitalized patients with heart failure (HF) has not been extensively evaluated. Methods: The community surveillance arm of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study identified 6959 HF hospitalizations from 2005–2011. Predictors of GDMT modification and survival were assessed using multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models. Results: For 5091 hospitalizations, patient mean age was 75 years, 53% were female, 69% were white, and 81% had acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). Regarding ejection fraction (EF), 31% of patients had HF with reduced EF (HFrEF), 24% had HF with preserved EF (HFpEF), and 44% were missing EF values. At admission, 52% of patients received angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers (ACEIs/ARBs), 66% β-blockers (BBs), 9% aldosterone-receptor antagonists, 16% digoxin, 10% hydralazine, and 29% nitrates. Modification of GDMT occurred in up to 23% of hospitalizations. Significant predictors of GDMT initiation included ADHF and HFrEF; discontinuation of medications was observed with select comorbidities. In HFrEF, initiation of any GDMT was associated with reduced 1-year all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.41, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.23–0.71) as was initiation of ACEI/ARBs, BBs, and digoxin. Discontinuation of any therapy versus maintaining GDMT was associated with greater mortality (HR 1.30, 95% CI 1.02–1.66). Similar trends were observed in HFpEF. Conclusions: Our study suggests that GDMT initiation is associated with increased survival, and discontinuation of therapy is associated with reduced survival in hospitalized patients with HF. Future studies should be conducted to confirm the impact of GDMT therapy modification in this population.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)406-416
Number of pages11
JournalPharmacotherapy
Volume38
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2018

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Pharmacotherapy Publications, Inc.

Keywords

  • guideline-directed medical therapy
  • heart failure
  • modification
  • mortality
  • predictors

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pharmacology (medical)

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy and Survival Following Hospitalization in Patients with Heart Failure'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this