Myocardial strain to identify benefit from beta-blockers in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction

Abstract

Aims: Not all patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) benefit equally from beta-blockers. Previous studies suggest that myocardial strain that reflects myocardial deformation may have a better prognostic value than the left ventricular ejection fraction. We aimed to evaluate the differential effect of beta-blockers according to the global longitudinal strain (GLS) in patients with HFrEF.

Methods and results: Of the 4312 patients in the Strain for Risk Assessment and Therapeutic Strategies in Patients with Acute Heart Failure registry, we included 2126 HFrEF patients whose data on beta-blocker use and GLS were available. Patients were categorized into two groups: one group of patients had GLS ≥ 10%, and the other group had GLS < 10%. The primary outcome was 5 year all-cause mortality according to beta-blocker use. Of the 2126 patients with HFrEF, 526 (24.7%) and 1600 (75.3%) patients had GLS ≥ 10% and <10%, respectively. Overall, 1399 patients (65.8%) received beta-blockers, and 864 (40.6%) patients died during the 5 year follow-up. Beta-blocker use was associated with improved survival in patients with GLS < 10% in both the inverse probability treatment-weighted (hazard ratio 0.70, 95% confidence interval 0.59-0.83, P < 0.001) and Cox regression analyses (hazard ratio 0.69, 95% confidence interval 0.59-0.81; P < 0.001). However, beta-blocker use was not associated with better survival in patients with GLS ≥ 10% in the inverse probability treatment-weighted and Cox regression analyses (both P > 0.05).

Conclusions: Beta-blocker use appears to be associated with improved survival in patients with HFrEF and GLS < 10%, but this is not the case in patients with GLS ≥ 10%. Therefore, GLS may be used to identify patients who have attenuated benefits from beta-blockers in HFrEF.

Clinical trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03513653 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03513653).

Keywords: Beta-blocker; Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction; Mortality; Myocardial strain; Prognosis.