Angiotensin Receptor-Neprilysin Inhibitor Prescribing Patterns in Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure.

Abstract

Importance: Angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibition (ARNI) improves mortality among patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), ie, those with an EF of 40% or less.

Objective: To describe national longitudinal trends in ARNI prescribing patterns among hospitalized patients with HFrEF.

Design, setting, and participants: Using data from the Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure (GWTG-HF) registry, hospitalized patients with HFrEF at 614 participating hospitals were identified. Rates of ARNI, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI), and angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) prescription at discharge were evaluated across 3 time periods. Adjusted logistic regression and piecewise logistic regression were used to evaluate the impact of publication dates on ARNI prescription rates.

Exposures: ARNI prescribing patterns in hospitalized patients with HFrEF.

Main outcomes and measures: Rates of ARNI, ACEI, and ARB prescription at discharge were evaluated across 3 time periods as follows: (1) period 1 included the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of sacubitril-valsartan to the day before the PIONEER-HF (Comparison of Sacubitril-Valsartan vs Enalapril on Effect on N-Terminal Pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide in Patients Stabilized From an Acute Heart Failure Episode) trial publication (July 7, 2015-November 10, 2018); (2) period 2 included the day of the PIONEER-HF trial publication to the day before publication of the 2021 Update to the 2017 Consensus for Optimization of Heart Failure Treatment (November 11, 2018-January 10, 2021); and (3) period 3 included the day of the 2021 update publication to the last available data at the time of analysis (January 11, 2021-December 31, 2022).

Results: A total of 114 333 hospitalized patients (mean [IQR] age, 67.0 [57.0-78.0] years; 74 765 male [65.4%]) were included in this study. Rates of ARNI prescribed at discharge increased from 1.1% (27 of 2451) during July 7, 2015, to September 30, 2015, to 55.4% (1957 of 3536) during October 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022. ACEI or ARB prescription at discharge fell from 88.3% (2612 of 2957) to 45.9% (2033 of 4434) over the same period, whereas ACEI, ARB, or ARNI prescription increased from 71.1% (2639 of 3713) to 84.7% (3990 of 4711). In adjusted logistic regression models, compared with period 1, patients discharged during period 2 and period 3 were found to have a 3.81-fold (95% CI, 3.65-3.98) and 9.15-fold (95% CI, 8.79-9.52) increased odds of ARNI prescription at discharge, and a 0.46 (95% CI, 0.45-0.48) and 0.25 (95% CI, 0.24-0.26) decreased odds of ACEI or ARB prescription at discharge.

Conclusions and relevance: Results of this cross-sectional study reveal that in the 7 years after FDA drug approval of sacubitril-valsartan, rates of ARNI or ACEI, ARB, or ARNI prescription at discharge increased, and rates of ACEI or ARB prescription decreased. Overall prescription of ARNI at discharge was 55.4% in eligible patients at the end of the study, suggesting remaining opportunity for continued improvement in ARNI prescription.