The complex relationship of race to outcomes in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

Comparative effectiveness of sacubitril/valsartan versus angiotensin receptor blockers in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: A real-world study

PURPOSE

Sacubitril/valsartan (SAC/VAL) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) are recommended therapy for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), but little is known about their real-world comparative effectiveness among patients with HFpEF. The objective of this study was to determine the comparative effectiveness of SAC/VAL vs ARBs in preventing HF-related hospitalization or all-cause hospitalization among patients with HFpEF.

METHODS

We conducted a cohort study using IBM MarketScan commercial and Medicare supplemental databases to identify patients aged 18 years or older with a diagnosis of HFpEF and initiation of SAC/VAL (2015-2020) or ARB (2009-2014) therapy. The index date was the date of the first SAC/VAL or ARB prescription fill. After propensity score (PS) matching with a ratio of 1 up to 3, Cox proportional hazards regression was used with robust variance estimators to compare the risks of HF-related hospitalization and all-cause hospitalization between the 2 therapies. Several subgroup and sensitivity analyses were conducted to check the robustness of the main analysis.

RESULTS

After PS matching, 2,520 patients (846 receiving SAC/VAL and 1,674 receiving an ARB) were included in the final analyses. After controlling for covariates, there was no difference in the risk of HF-related hospitalization between SAC/VAL and ARB recipients (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.99-1.77). There was also no difference in the risk of all-cause hospitalization between SAC/VAL and ARB recipients (aHR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.91-1.24).

CONCLUSION

Among individuals with private or Medicare Advantage insurance plans, there was no significant difference in the risk of HF-related hospitalization or all-cause hospitalization between adults with HFpEF who received SAC/VAL and those who received ARB therapy.

Patient-reported and Clinical Outcomes Among Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure With Reduced Versus Preserved Ejection Fraction

BACKGROUND

Differences between patients hospitalized for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) vs HF with preserved EF (HFpEF) are not well-characterized, particularly as pertains to in-hospital decongestion and longitudinal patient-reported outcomes. The objective of this analysis was to compare patient-reported and clinical outcomes between patients hospitalized with HFrEF vs HFpEF.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The Acute Study of Clinical Effectiveness of Nesiritide in Decompensated Heart Failure (ASCEND-HF) trial enrolled 7141 patients hospitalized for HF with reduced or preserved EF. We assessed the association between an EF ≤ 40% vs an EF >40% with in-hospital decongestion, risk of rehospitalization and mortality, and quality of life as measured by the EuroQOL 5 Dimensions (EQ-5D). Among 5800 patients (81%) with complete EF data, 4782 (82%) had an EF ≤40% and 1018 (18%) had an EF >40%. Both groups demonstrated similar rates of decongestion by weight change and urine volume through 24 hours, a similar risk of 30-day mortality and HF rehospitalization, and a similar 180-day mortality. Patients with HFpEF had worse EQ-5D scores at hour 24 (median 0.76, [interquartile range (IQR) 0.51-0.84] vs 0.78 [IQR 0.57-0.84]; P = .01) that persisted through discharge (0.81 [IQR 0.69-0.86] vs 0.83 [IQR 0.71-1.00]; P < .001) and the 30-day follow-up (0.78 [IQR 0.60-0.85] vs 0.83 [IQR 0.71-1.00]; P < .001). After adjustment, these differences were attenuated and not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

In this large, multinational cohort of patients hospitalized for HF, patients with an EF ≤ 40% vs an EF >40% experienced similar in-hospital decongestion and postdischarge clinical outcomes. Patients with an EF >40% reported worse in-hospital and postdischarge patient-reported health status, but these measures were similar to HFrEF after accounting for other clinical factors.

Contemporary Reevaluation of Race and Ethnicity With Outcomes in Heart Failure

Background

Variation in outcomes by race/ethnicity in adults with heart failure (HF) has been previously observed. Identifying factors contributing to these variations could help target interventions. We evaluated the association of race/ethnicity with HF outcomes and potentially contributing factors within a contemporary HF cohort.

Methods and Results

We identified members of Kaiser Permanente Northern California, a large integrated healthcare delivery system, who were diagnosed with HF between 2012 and 2016 and had at least 1 year of prior continuous membership and left ventricular ejection fraction data. We used Cox regression with time‐dependent covariates to evaluate the association of self‐identified race/ethnicity with HF or all‐cause hospitalization and all‐cause death, with backward selection for potential explanatory variables. Among 34 621 patients with HF, compared with White patients, Black patients had a higher rate of HF hospitalization (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.28; 95% CI, 1.18–1.38) but a lower rate of death (adjusted HR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.72–0.85). In contrast, Asian/Pacific Islander patients had similar rates of HF hospitalization, but lower rates of all‐cause hospitalization (adjusted HR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.85–0.93) and death (adjusted HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.69–0.80). Hispanic patients also had a lower rate of death (adjusted HR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.80–0.91). Sensitivity analyses showed that effect sizes for Black patients were larger among patients with reduced ejection fraction.

Conclusions

In a contemporary and diverse population with HF, Black patients experienced a higher rate of HF hospitalization and a lower rate of death compared with White patients. In contrast, selected outcomes for Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic patients were more favorable compared with White patients. The observed differences were not explained by measured potentially modifiable factors, including pharmacological treatment. Future research is needed to identify explanatory mechanisms underlying ongoing racial/ethnic variation to target potential interventions.

Clinical and Socioeconomic Predictors of Heart Failure Readmissions: A Review of Contemporary Literature

Heart failure represents a clinical syndrome that results from a constellation of disease processes affecting myocardial function. Although recent studies have suggested a declining or stable incidence of heart failure, patients with heart failure continue to have high hospitalization and readmission rates, resulting in a substantial economic and public health burden. We searched PubMed and Google Scholar to identify published literature from 1998 through 2018 using the following keywords: heart failure, readmissions, predictors, prediction models, and interventions. Cited references were also used to identify relevant literature. Developments in the diagnosis and management of patients with heart failure have improved hospitalization and readmission rates in the past few decades. However, heart failure remains the most common cause of hospitalization in persons older than 65 years. As a result, given the enormous clinical and financial burden associated with heart failure readmissions on health care, there has been growing interest in the investigation of mechanisms aimed at improving outcomes and curtailing associated costs of care. Herein, we review the current literature on clinical and socioeconomic predictors of heart failure readmissions, briefly discussing limitations of existing strategies and providing an overview of current technology aimed at reducing hospitalizations.

N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and prognosis in Caucasian vs. Asian patients with heart failure

Aims

N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) is the most frequently used biomarker in heart failure (HF), but its prognostic utility across ethnicities is unclear.

Methods and results

This study included 546 Caucasians with HF from the Coordinating Study Evaluating Outcomes of Advising and Counseling in Heart Failure and 578 Asians with HF from the Singapore Heart Failure Outcomes and Phenotypes study. NT‐proBNP was measured at discharge after HF hospitalization. The studied outcome was a composite of all‐cause mortality and HF hospitalization at 18 months. Compared with Caucasian patients, Asian patients were younger (63 ± 12 vs. 71 ± 11 years); less often female (26% vs. 39%); and had lower body mass index (26 vs. 27 kg/m²), better renal function (61 ± 37 vs. 54 ± 20 mL/min/1.73 m²), lower rates of atrial fibrillation (25% vs. 46%), strikingly higher rates of diabetes (59% vs. 30%), and higher rates of hypertension (76% vs. 44%). Despite these clear inter‐group differences in individual drivers of NT‐proBNP, average levels were similar in Asians [2709 (1350, 6302) pg/mL] and Caucasians [2545 (1308, 5484) pg/mL] (P = 0.514). NT‐proBNP was strongly associated with outcome [hazard ratio 1.28 (per doubling), 95% confidence interval 1.18–1.39, P < 0.001], regardless of ethnicity (P_interaction = 0.719). NT‐proBNP was similarly associated with outcome in HF with reduced and preserved ejection fraction in Asian (P_interaction = 0.776) and Caucasian patients (P_interaction = 0.558).

Conclusions

NT‐proBNP has similar prognostic performance in Asians and Caucasians with HF despite ethnic differences in known clinical determinants of plasma NT‐proBNP.

Gender and racial differences in surgical outcomes among adult patients with acute heart failure

BACKGROUND

Approximately three million U.S. adult women have heart failure (HF), increasing their risk of adverse perioperative outcomes. While gender and racial differences are reported in surgical outcomes, less is known about 30-day perioperative outcomes in HF patients.

OBJECTIVES

To characterize and compare gender and racial differences in 30-day perioperative outcomes in adults with new or acute/worsening HF.

METHODS

The 2012-2013 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database of surgical patients (n = 9458) with HF was analyzed. Logistic regression was used to adjust for gender and racial differences in baseline covariates.

RESULTS

No gender difference in mortality (odds ratio = 0.922, 95% confidence interval = 0.0792-1.073, p = 0.294) was noted. Whites were more likely than Blacks to die 30 days after surgery (14% vs 9%, p < 0.001); after adjustment, Blacks were more likely to experience complications and be readmitted compared to Whites.

CONCLUSIONS

There was no gender difference in mortality. White patients with HF were more likely to die after surgery than Black patients.

Sex- and Race-Related Differences in Characteristics and Outcomes of Hospitalizations for Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction

Background

Sex and race have emerged as important contributors to the phenotypic heterogeneity of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). However, there remains a need to identify important sex‐ and race‐related differences in characteristics and outcomes using a nationally representative cohort.

Methods and Results

Data were obtained from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project—Nationwide Inpatient Sample files between 2008 and 2012. Hospitalizations with a diagnosis of HFpEF were included for analysis. Demographics, hospital characteristics, and age‐adjusted comorbidity prevalence rates were compared between men and women and whites and blacks. In‐hospital mortality was determined and compared for each subgroup. Multivariable regression analyses were used to identify and compare correlates of in‐hospital mortality for each subgroup. A sample of 1 889 608 hospitalizations was analyzed. Men with HFpEF were slightly younger than women with HFpEF and had a higher Elixhauser comorbidity score. Men experienced higher in‐hospital mortality compared with women, a finding that was attenuated after adjusting for comorbidity. Blacks with HFpEF were younger than whites with HFpEF, with lower rates of most comorbidities. Hypertension, diabetes, anemia, and chronic renal failure were more common among blacks. Blacks experienced lower in‐hospital mortality compared with whites, even after adjusting for age and comorbidity. Important correlates of mortality among all 4 subgroups included pulmonary circulation disorders, liver disease, and chronic renal failure. Atrial fibrillation was an important correlate of mortality only among women and blacks.

Conclusions

Differences in patient characteristics and outcomes reinforce the notion that sex and race contribute to the phenotypic heterogeneity of HFpEF.

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Heart Failure Readmissions and Mortality in a Large Municipal Healthcare System

OBJECTIVES

This study sought to determine whether racial and ethnic differences exist among patients with similar access to care. We examined outcomes after heart failure hospitalization within a large municipal health system.

BACKGROUND

Racial and ethnic disparities in heart failure outcomes are present in administrative data, and one explanation is differential access to care.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective cohort study of 8,532 hospitalizations of adults with heart failure at 11 hospitals in New York City from 2007 to 2010. Primary exposure was ethnicity and race, and outcomes were 30- and 90-day readmission and 30-day and 1-year mortality rates. Generalized estimating equations were used to test for associations between ethnicity and race and outcomes with covariate adjustment.

RESULTS

Of the number of hospitalizations included, 4,305 (51%) were for blacks, 2,449 (29%) were for Hispanics, 1,494 (18%) were for whites, and 284 (3%) were for Asians. Compared to whites, blacks and Asians had lower 1-year mortality, with adjusted odds ratios (aORs) of 0.75 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.59 to 0.94) and 0.57 (95% CI: 0.38 to 0.85), respectively, and rates for Hispanics were not significantly different (aOR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.64 to 1.03). Hispanics had higher odds of readmission than whites (aOR: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.57) at 30 (aOR: 1.40; 95% CI: 1.15 to 1.70) and 90 days. Blacks had higher odds of readmission than whites at 90 days (aOR:1.21; 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.47).

CONCLUSIONS

Racial and ethnic differences in outcomes after heart failure hospitalization were present within a large municipal health system. Access to a municipal health system may not be sufficient to eliminate disparities in heart failure outcomes.

Measuring the effects of CVD interventions and studies across socioeconomic groups: A brief review

There is a known socioeconomic skew in prevalence and outcomes of cardiovascular disease (CVD). To document the proportion of clinical trials and observational studies related to CVD recently published in peer-reviewed journals that report the socio-economic distributional differences in their outcomes. We undertook a review of peer-reviewed clinical trials and observational studies relating to CVD published between 01/06/2015-31/12/2015 in PubMed; and identified the proportion that included measures of socioeconomic status and the proportion that stratified results by, or controlled for, socioeconomic status when reporting outcomes. 414 peer reviewed publications reporting the outcomes of clinical trials or observational studies that related to CVD were identified. 32 of these reported on the socioeconomic status of participants. Of these, 20 stratified the results by socioeconomic status or adjusted the results for socioeconomic status. 18 studies measured education attainment, 5 measured income, 1 measured rurality and 1 measured occupation. Of the 414 articles reporting the outcomes of clinical trials or observational studies related to cardiovascular disease in 2015, the effectiveness of the intervention, or the differences in outcomes, between socioeconomic groups was assessed in 5% of studies. This lack of consideration of the effectiveness of trial outcomes or the differences in outcomes across socioeconomic groups impairs the ability of readers, healthcare professionals and policy makers to assess the impact of new treatments or interventions in closing the inequality gap associated with CVD.

Race/Ethnicity and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Adults With CKD: Findings From the CRIC (Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort) and Hispanic CRIC Studies

BACKGROUND

Non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics with end-stage renal disease have a lower risk for death than non-Hispanic whites, but data for racial/ethnic variation in cardiovascular outcomes for non-dialysis-dependent chronic kidney disease are limited.

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective cohort.

SETTING & PARTICIPANTS

3,785 adults with entry estimated glomerular filtration rates of 20 to 70mL/min/1.73m(2) enrolled in the CRIC (Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort) Study.

PREDICTORS

Race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, and Hispanic).

OUTCOMES

Cardiovascular outcomes (atherosclerotic events [myocardial infarction, stroke, or peripheral arterial disease] and heart failure) and a composite of each cardiovascular outcome or all-cause death.

MEASUREMENTS

Multivariable Cox proportional hazards.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up of 6.6 years, we observed 506 atherosclerotic events, 551 heart failure events, and 692 deaths. In regression analyses, there were no significant differences in atherosclerotic events among the 3 racial/ethnic groups. In analyses stratified by clinical site, non-Hispanic blacks had a higher risk for heart failure events (HR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.29-1.95), which became nonsignificant after adjustment for demographic factors and baseline kidney function. In contrast, Hispanics had similar risk for heart failure events as non-Hispanic whites. In analyses stratified by clinical site, compared with non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks were at similar risk for atherosclerotic events or death. However, after further adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors, medications, and mineral metabolism markers, non-Hispanic blacks had 17% lower risk for the outcome (HR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.69-0.99) than non-Hispanic whites, whereas there was no significant association with Hispanic ethnicity.

LIMITATIONS

Hispanics were largely recruited from a single center, and the study was underpowered to evaluate the association between Hispanic ethnicity and mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

There were no significant racial/ethnic differences in adjusted risk for atherosclerotic or heart failure outcomes. Future research is needed to better explain the reduced risk for atherosclerotic events or death in non-Hispanic blacks compared with non-Hispanic whites.