Projected Clinical Benefits of Implementation of SGLT-2 Inhibitors among Medicare Beneficiaries Hospitalized for Heart Failure. Journal of cardiac failure Vaduganathan, M., Greene, S. J., Zhang, S., Solomon, N., Chiswell, K., DeVore, A. D., Butler, J., Heidenreich, P. A., Huang, J. C., Kittleson, M. M., Maddox, K. E., McDermott, J. J., Owens, A. T., Peterson, P. N., Solomon, S. D., Vardeny, O., Yancy, C. W., Fonarow, G. C. 2021

Abstract

The sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors form the latest pillar in the management of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and appear effective across a range of patient profiles. There is increasing interest around initiation of SGLT-2 inhibitor during hospitalization, yet little is known about the putative benefits of this implementation strategy.We evaluated Medicare beneficiaries with HFrEF (=40%) hospitalized at 228 sites in the Get With The Guidelines®-Heart Failure (GWTG-HF) Registry in 2016 who had linked claims data for =1 year post-discharge. We identified those eligible for dapagliflozin under the latest US Food and Drug Administration label (excluding eGFR<25 mL/min per 1.73 m2, dialysis, or type 1 diabetes). We evaluated 1-year outcomes overall and among key subgroups (age=75 years, sex, race, hospital region, kidney function, diabetes status, triple therapy). We then projected the potential benefits of implementation of dapagliflozin based on risk reductions from DAPA-HF.Among 7,523 patients hospitalized for HFrEF, 6,576 (87%) would be dapagliflozin candidates (mean age 79±8 years, 39% women, 11% Black). Among eligible candidates, discharge use of ß-blockers, ACEi/ARB, MRA, ARNI, and triple therapy (ACEi/ARB/ARNI+ß-blocker+MRA) was recorded in 88%, 64%, 29%, 3%, and 20%, respectively. Among treatment-eligible patients, 1-year incidence (95% CI) of mortality was 37% (36-38%) and of HF readmission was 33% (32-34%), and each exceeded 25% across all key subgroups. Among 1,333 beneficiaries eligible for dapagliflozin who were already on triple therapy, 1-year incidence of mortality was 26% (24-29%) and 1-year HF readmission was 30% (27-32%). Applying the relative risk reductions observed in DAPA-HF, absolute risk reductions with complete implementation of dapagliflozin among treatment-eligible Medicare beneficiaries are projected to be 5% (1-9%) for mortality and 9% (5-12%) for HF readmission by 1 year. The projected number of Medicare beneficiaries that would need to be treated for 1 year to prevent 1 death is 19 (11-114) and 12 (8-21) would need to be treated to prevent 1 HF readmission.Medicare beneficiaries with HFrEF eligible for dapagliflozin after HF hospitalization, including those well-treated with other disease-modifying therapies, face high risks of mortality and HF readmission by 1 year. If benefits in reduction in death and HF hospitalization observed in clinical trials can be fully realized, absolute benefits of implementation of SGLT-2 inhibitors among treatment eligible candidates are anticipated to be substantial in this high-risk post-discharge setting.

View details for DOI 10.1016/j.cardfail.2021.11.010

View details for PubMedID 34785402