Biomarker-Guided Versus Guideline-Based Treatment of Patients With Heart Failure: Results From BIOSTAT-CHF

Wouter Ouwerkerk, Aeilko H Zwinderman, Leong L Ng, Biniyam Demissei, Hans L Hillege, Faiez Zannad, Dirk J van Veldhuisen, Nilesh J Samani, Piotr Ponikowski, Marco Metra, Jozine M Ter Maaten, Chim C Lang, Pim van der Harst, Gerasimos Filippatos, Kenneth Dickstein, John G Cleland, Stefan D Anker, Adriaan A Voors

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Heart failure guidelines recommend up-titration of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), beta-blockers, and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) to doses used in randomized clinical trials, but these recommended doses are often not reached. Up-titration may, however, not be necessary in all patients.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to establish the role of blood biomarkers to determine which patients should or should not be up-titrated.

METHODS: Clinical outcomes of 2,516 patients with worsening heart failure from the BIOSTAT-CHF (BIOlogy Study to Tailored Treatment in Chronic Heart Failure) were compared between 3 theoretical treatment scenarios: scenario A, in which all patients are up-titrated to >50% of recommended doses; scenario B, in which patients are up-titrated according to a biomarker-based treatment selection model; and scenario C, in which no patient is up-titrated to >50% of recommended doses. The study conducted multivariable Cox regression using 161 biomarkers and their interaction with treatment, weighted for treatment-indication bias to estimate the expected number of deaths or heart failure hospitalizations at 24 months for all 3 scenarios.

RESULTS: Estimated death or hospitalization rates in 1,802 patients with available (bio)markers were 16%, 16%, and 26%, respectively, in the ACE inhibitor/ARB up-titration scenarios A, B, and C. Similar rates for beta-blocker and MRA up-titration scenarios A, B, and C were 23%, 19%, and 24%, and 12%, 11%, and 24%, respectively. If up-titration was successful in all patients, an estimated 9.8, 1.3, and 12.3 events per 100 treated patients could be prevented at 24 months by ACE inhibitor/ARB, beta-blocker, and MRA therapy, respectively. Similar numbers were 9.9, 4.7, and 13.1 if up-titration treatment decision was based on a biomarker-based treatment selection model.

CONCLUSIONS: Up-titrating patients with heart failure based on biomarker values might have resulted in fewer deaths or hospitalizations compared with a hypothetical scenario in which all patients were successfully up-titrated.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)386-398
Number of pages13
JournalJournal of the American College of Cardiology
Volume71
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 30 Jan 2018
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Adrenergic beta-Antagonists/administration & dosage
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists/administration & dosage
  • Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors/administration & dosage
  • Biomarkers/blood
  • Computer Simulation
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Female
  • Heart Failure/blood
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists/administration & dosage
  • Patient Selection
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic
  • Prospective Studies
  • ACE inhibitor/ARB
  • beta-blocker
  • treatment decision
  • biomarkers
  • MRA

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