Mortality and morbidity of non-systolic heart failure treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors: a propensity-adjusted case-control study.

BACKGROUND

The effect of treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) on the prognosis of patients newly diagnosed with heart failure with preserved systolic function (HF-PSF) is unclear. We evaluate the relationship of commencing ACEI therapy (C-ACEI-T) with the morbidity and mortality of patients with HF-PSF.

METHODS

Prospective propensity-adjusted cohort study over 5 years on 1120 adults diagnosed with HF-PSF for the first time, within an integrated health organization in Spain. We analyzed the independent relationship between C-ACEI-T and mortality, and morbidity, stratifying patients according to comorbidity, after a multivariable adjustment for potential confounders.

RESULTS

The 865 patients (77.2%) who C-ACEI-T were younger, with more cardiovascular comorbidity. During the median follow-up of 908.3 days (interquartile range 558.6-1302.0) 580 patients (51.8%) died, and 727 (64.9%) were hospitalized. Using an intention-to-treat analysis, C-ACEI-T was associated with a lower risk of all-cause (RR [CI 95%] 0.34 [0.23 to 0.46]), and cardiovascular (RR 0.28 [0.20 to 0.36]) mortality, and a lower age- and sex-adjusted rate of hospitalization (per 100 persons-year), 12.3 vs. 19.4, (P<0.001 in all cases), even after adjustment for the propensity to take ACEIs, or other medications, comorbidities, and other potential confounders.

CONCLUSION

In this prospective observational study the establishment of ACEI therapy is associated with a reduced mortality and morbidity of patients with newly diagnosed non-systolic heart failure.