Background: Though the combination of an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) and a neprilysin inhibitor (ARNi) has been shown to be useful in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), its use has mostly been restricted to chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) >30 mL/minute/1.73 m2 . We studied the role of ARNi in advanced CKD.
Materials and methods: Patients with HFrEF and advanced CKD with an eGFR of <30 mL/ minute/1.73 m2 were given ARNi (sacubitril with valsartan) and prospectively studied for changes in hospitalization rate for HF, clinical symptoms, levels of N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), eGFR, and potassium.
Results: Of 34 patients who received ARNi, five were excluded due to hyperkalemia and three due to a decrease in eGFR >30% occurring within 1 month. The remaining 26 patients included 17 with diabetes mellitus (DM) and 23 with underlying coronary artery disease. A total of eight patients had stage 4 and 18 stage 5 CKDs, amongst which eight required hemodialysis. Following ARNi, there was a significant decrease in the need for hospitalization for breathlessness (2.04 ± 1.03-0.23 ± 0.51; p < 0,05), New York Heart Association (NYHA) and Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) scores (3.77 ± 0.43-2.19 ± 0.56 and 28.58 ± 9.04-64.81 ± 14.3, respectively, p < 0.001) and NT-pro-BNP levels (24761 ± 12157.51-20149.92 ± 13555.269, p < 0.05) without significant change in eGFR after 6 months. There were no significant differences in the need for hospitalization, changes in NT proBNP levels and eGFR between stages 4 and 5.
Conclusion: Neprilysin inhibitor (ARNi) is effective and can be used with care even in patients with CKD stages 4 and 5 having HFrEF with monitoring of eGFR and potassium.
© Journal of the Association of Physicians of India 2011.