The benefits of valsartan in the treatment of heart failure: results from Val-HeFT.

Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) are the most recent class of anti-hypertensive drug to enter clinical use for chronic heart failure (CHF). In the landmark Valsartan Heart Failure Trial (Val-HeFT), valsartan reduced the risk of the combined endpoint of all-cause mortality and morbidity by 13.2% over a 2-year follow-up. Although it significantly improved a pre-specified primary endpoint, it did not improve the endpoint of all-cause mortality. Valsartan administered to patients not receiving angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) at baseline reduced the endpoint of all-cause mortality by 33% and the combined endpoint of mortality and morbidity by 44%, compared with placebo. Based on these findings, valsartan became the first ARB to be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of New York Heart Association class II-IV HF in patients who are intolerant of ACEIs. This review provides a summary of the key Val-HeFT results and their implications in the treatment of CHF patients.