ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Cardiovasc. Med., 19 December 2024

Sec. Sex and Gender in Cardiovascular Medicine

Volume 11 - 2024 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2024.1503414

Sex differences and clinical outcomes, including ventricular tachyarrhythmias, of patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction treated with sacubitril/valsartan

  • 1. Department of Cardiology, Angiology, Haemostaseology and Medical Intensive Care, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University Medical Center Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany

  • 2. Department of Molecular and Experimental Cardiology, Institut für Forschung und Lehre (IFL), Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany

  • 3. Department of Cellular and Translational Physiology and Institut für Forschung und Lehre (IFL), Molecular and Experimental Cardiology, Institute of Physiology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany

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Abstract

Background:

Women with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) often experience worse clinical outcomes compared to men, including higher rates of mortality, hospitalization, and congestion. However, the effects of sacubitril/valsartan on these outcomes, as well as on ventricular tachyarrhythmias, have not been well studied in women with HFrEF.

Methods:

This study included consecutive series of patients treated with sacubitril/valsartan at University Hospital Mannheim from 2016 to 2020. Baseline and follow-up data were compared between women and men. The endpoints included all-cause mortality, ventricular tachyarrhythmias, all-cause hospitalization, and congestion.

Results:

A total of 246 patients were analyzed, comprising 50 (20.3%) women and 196 (79.7%) men. The study population consisted of 34.3% ambulatory patients and 65.7% hospitalized patients admitted for acute decompensated or symptomatic HF. The sex distribution was as follows: among women, 48.6% were ambulatory and 51.4% were hospitalized, while among men, 30.6% were ambulatory and 69.4% were hospitalized. Ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) was less common as a cause of heart failure (HF) in women than in men (32% vs. 57.7%, p = 0.001). During the 12-month follow-up, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) improved more significantly in women than in men, increasing from 29.0% (10.0–45.0) to 40.0% (15.0–59.0) in women (p = 0.009) compared to an increase from 28.0% (3.0–65.0) to 33.0% (13.0–60.0) in men. There were no significant differences in all-cause mortality at 12-month between women and men (4% vs. 6.7%; p = 0.742). The results indicated no significant differences between the sexes in the incidence of ventricular tachyarrhythmias [ventricular fibrillation [VF] and sustained ventricular tachycardia [VT]] (4.5% vs. 0.6%; p = 0.121) (2.3% vs. 3.9%; p = 1.00), hospitalizations (70.2% vs. 67.8%; p = 0.769), congestion at 12-month follow-up (11.4% vs. 10.1%; p = 0.762). Female sex was not identified as a predictor for the occurrence of ventricular tachyarrhythmias or mortality rate at 12 months [hazard ratio (HR), 0.586; 95%-confidence interval (CI) 0.17–2.016; p = 0.397] (HR, 1.898; 95%-CI 0.381–9.464; p = 0.434).

Conclusion:

Women with HFrEF treated with sacubitril/valsartan showed a greater improvement in LVEF compared to men, though clinical outcomes were similar across sexes. Female sex was not a predictor of ventricular tachyarrhythmias or mortality at 12 months.

Introduction

The treatment of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) has changed within the last years, including the advent of the combination drug sacubitril/valsartan (15). In the PARADIGM-HF trial, the combination of the neprilysin inhibitor sacubitril with the angiotensin receptor antagonist valsartan demonstrated a significant reduction in the occurrence of the composite endpoint, which consisted of death, death from cardiovascular cause, and the need for hospitalization for heart failure (HF), when compared to the treatment with enalapril alone (6). While women have a lower risk of developing HFrEF, men have an 84% higher relative risk (7). In addition, women have a lower risk of first HF hospitalization, cardiovascular death, and fewer comorbidities compared to men. Overall, there is an underuse of heart failure-specific or cardiovascular drugs such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs), statins, aspirin, and anticoagulants, as well as implantable devices in women with chronic heart failure (8). It remains unclear whether treatment with sacubitril/valsartan might improve the outcome of women and men with HFrEF to the same extent in a real-world setting. One study based on a real-world setting demonstrated a higher number of treatment discontinuations in women yet did not address the clinical outcome (9). A recent pooled analysis of the data from the PARADIMG-HF and the PARAGON-HF studies indicated that women may benefit from treatment, not only at low, but also at high levels of the LVEF (10). However, real-world data on treatment response to sacubitril/valsartan by sex are limited. This analysis shows real-world data in the treatment of HFrEF patients with sacubitril/valsartan according to sex. We also compared clinical outcomes including death from any cause, ventricular tachyarrhythmias, all-cause hospitalization, and congestion at 12 months.

Methods

A total of 245 consecutive patients were included in the study at the Department of Cardiology, Angiology, Haemostaseology and Medical Intensive Care, University Medical Center Mannheim, Heidelberg University. These patients were diagnosed with HFrEF in accordance with the 2016 European Society of Cardiology Guidelines (ESC) (11). The inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) The presence of heart failure symptoms, as defined by the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification system, in patients who have been optimally treated with ACEIs or angiotensin-II-receptor blockers (ARBs), beta-blockers, and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MCRA); (2) left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤40%; (3) implantation of cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) or cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT); and (4) receipt and tolerance of sacubitril/valsartan. Initially, patients received a dose of 24/26 mg twice daily, which was increased to 97/103 mg twice daily over a period of 3–6 weeks, contingent on tolerability.

This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki regarding research involving human subjects and was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Medical Faculty Mannheim Heidelberg University.

Data collection

The data and clinical outcomes of patients were gathered from the source data, assessed through chart review, and contacts with the outpatient practice at follow-up. Baseline characteristics of patients presenting before sacubitril/valsartan, including demographics, medical history, NYHA classification, clinical parameters, electrocardiogram (ECG), arrhythmias assessed by querying the ICD or CRT, cardiac devices, and medications, were available. LVEF was measured using the Simpson biplane method. Laboratory parameters were also evaluated, including potassium in mmol/L, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in ml/min, troponin I (TNI) in ng/ml, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in pg/ml, hemoglobin (Hb) in g/dl, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in%. Arrhythmias [ventricular fibrillation (VF), non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT), and ventricular tachycardia (VT)] were also collected. Hospitalizations, congestions, and mortality were also gathered at baseline and after the initiation of sacubitril/valsartan in women as compared to men.

Definitions

For the purposes of this study, hospitalization is defined as any readmission to our hospital. Congestion is defined as the presence of one or more fluid overload symptoms, including pulmonary rales, third heart sound, jugular venous stasis, hepatomegaly, peripheral edema, high levels of NT-proBNP, and acute depression of heart function. These symptoms are diagnosed by echocardiography and radiographic signs of decompensation.

Primary and secondary endpoints

The primary endpoints were 12-month mortality and the occurrence of ventricular tachyarrhythmias (VF, NSVT, VT). Secondary endpoints included atrial fibrillation (AF), hospitalization, congestion, and improvement of LVEF and NYHA classification. These endpoints reflect both short- and long-term patient health and align with previous studies assessing the clinical efficacy of HF therapies.

Statistics

The data were presented as mean ± standard deviation (SD) for continuous variables with a normal distribution, median (min–max) for continuous variables with a non-normal distribution, and frequency (%) for categorical variables. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to assess normal distribution. Continuous variables with normal and non-normal distributions were compared by student's t-test and Mann-Whitney-U-test, respectively. The chi-squared test or Fisher's exact test was employed to assess categorical variables. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was utilized for paired nonparametric quantitative variables. The McNemar test was applied to paired qualitative variables. A p-value < 0.05 was deemed statistically significant. Univariate analysis was employed to identify predictors of mortality and the occurrence of ventricular tachyarrhythmias. The predictors with a p-value <0.05 were subjected to a multivariate regression analysis using the Cox method. The statistical analysis was conducted using the SPSS software version 27.0.

Results

Comparison of women and men

The patients were divided into two categories according to sex: women (n = 50, 20.3%) and men (n = 196, 79.7%). The median age of women was 71.5 years [median (min–max): 38–92 years], while that of men was 70 years (33–91 years). The mean body mass index (BMI) in kg/m2 (±SD) was similar in both groups, with a mean of 28.35 ± 7.12 in women and 29.33 ± 6.1 in men. The incidence of ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) was less in women than in men (32% vs. 57.7%, p = 0.001), while the incidence of non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) was higher in women than in men (70% vs. 45.9%, p = 0.002). Baseline characteristics, including medical history, NYHA classification, clinical parameters, arrhythmias, cardiac devices, and medication, are presented in Table 1.

Table 1

Variables Women
n = 50
Men
n = 196
P-value*
Demographics
Age in years; median (min–max) 71.5 (38–92) 70 (33–91) 0.862
BMI in kg/m2; mean ± SD 28.35 ± 7.12 29.33 ± 6.1 0.866
Inpatient; n (%) 18/35 (51.4) 93/134 (69.4)
Outpatient; n (%) 17/35 (48.6) 41/134 (30.6)
Medical history; n (%)
Smoking 21/50 (58) 130/196 (66.3) 0 . 001
Lung disease
 Asthma 3/50 (6) 3/196 (1.5) 0.1
 COPD 3/50 (6) 45/196 (23) 0 . 007
Arterial hypertension 37/50 (74) 145/195 (74.4) 0.959
Diabetes mellitus 16/50 (32) 75/196 (38.3) 0.413
Positive family history 15/50 (30) 49/196 (25) 0.472
History of malignancy 12/50 (24) 30/196 (15.3) 0.145
Myocardial infarction
 STEMI 10/50 (20) 67/196 (34.2) 0.051
 NSTEMI 7/50 (14) 36/196 (18.4) 0.459
Coronary heart disease 25/50 (50) 137/196 (69.9) 0 . 011
Stroke 8/50 (16) 30/196 (15.3) 0.915
Coronary bypass 5/50 (10) 37/196 (18.9) 0.133
NICM 35/50 (70) 90/196 (45.9) 0 . 002
ICM 16/50 (32) 113/196 (57.7) 0 . 001
NYHA-Classification; n (%)
III 26/50 (52) 99/196 (50.5) 0.433
IV 3/50 (6) 19/196 (9.7) 0.774
Clinical parameter; median (min–max)
Systolic BP mmHg 120 (90–180) 122 (80–190) 0.628
Diastolic BP mmHg 80 (60–120) 80 (42–112) 0.39
HR bpm 75.5 (52–123) 73.5 (46–156) 0.152
ECG; median (min–max)
PQ in ms 157 (96–260) 176 (114–396) 0 . 021
QTc in ms 477 (407–576) 468 (207–696) 0.385
MitraClip; n (%) 2/50 (4) 12/196 (6.2) 0.741
Arrhythmias; n (%)
AF 21/50 (42) 93/196 (47.4) 0.453
VF 4/50 (8) 20/196 (10.2) 1.000
NSVT 3/50 (6) 26/196 (13.3) 0.149
VT 3/50 (6) 25/196 (12.8) 0.2
Cardiac Device; n (%)
CRT 10/50 (20) 42/196 (21.5) 0.8
S-/TV-ICD 20/50 (40) 113/196 (57.9) 0.021
PM 1/50 (2) 15/196 (7.7) 0.205
CCM 5/50 (10) 33/196 (16.9) 0.223
Vagusstimulator 0/50 (0) 1/196 (0.5) 1.00
Medication; n (%)
Beta-blocker 44/50 (88) 180/196 (91.8) 0.239
ARB 11/50 (22) 49/196 (25) 0.608
Aldosterone antagonist 32/50 (64) 126/196 (64.3) 0.884
ACEI 28/50 (56) 108/196 (55.1) 0.975
Ivabradine 2/50 (4) 6/196 (3.1) 0.671
Diuretics 37/50 (74) 157/196 (80.1) 0.220
Platelet aggregation inhibitors 20/50 (40) 98/196 (50) 0.185
Anticoagulation 22/50 (44) 95/196 (48.5) 0.490
Amiodarone 4,750 (8) 24/196 (12.2) 0.376
Sotalol 0/50 (0) 1/196 (0.5) 1.00
Statin 24/50 (48) 137/196 (69.9) 0 . 002
Metformin 2/50 (4) 25/196 (12.8) 0.060
Insulin 5/50 (10) 24/196 (12.2) 0.554
SGLT2-inhibitor 1/50 (2) 11/196 (5.6) 0.126
DPP-4-inhibitor 4/50 (8) 13/196 (6.6) 0.765

Baseline characteristics of hFrEF patients presenting before sacubitril/valsartan by sex.

n, number of data; SD, standard deviation; BMI, body-mass-index; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; STEMI, ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction; NSTEMI, non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction; NICM, non-ischemic cardiomyopathy; ICM, ischemic cardiomyopathy; NYHA, New York Heart Association; BP, blood pressure; HR, heart rate; ECG, electrocardiogram; PQ, PQ interval; QTc, corrected QT interval; LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction; AF, atrial fibrillation; VF, ventricular fibrillation; NSVT, non-sustained ventricular tachycardia; VT, ventricular tachycardia; CRT, cardiac resynchronization therapy; CRT-D, cardiac resynchronization therapy with defibrillator; S-ICD, subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator; TV-ICD, transvenous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator; PM, pacemaker; CCM, cardiac contractility modulation; ARB, angiotensin II receptor blocker; ACEI, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor; SGLT2, sodium-glucose transport protein 2; DPP-4, dipeptidyl peptidase 4; bold indicates significant values.

*

P-values for the comparison between male and female patients.

Echocardiographic values, NYHA classification, and laboratory values

The LVEF [median (min–max)] was comparable at baseline in both sexes, with a value of 29.0% (10.0–45.0) in women and 28.0% (3.0–65.0) in men; p = 0.755. At the 12-month follow-up, an improvement in LVEF was observed in more women than men [women 40.0% (15.0–59.0) vs. men 33.0% (13.0–60.0)], Figure 1. NYHA class improved in both groups, as shown in Table 2. The value of NT-proBNP decreased in both groups. In women, the value decreased from 2,085 pg/ml (257–26,778) to 551 pg/ml (69–6,054), while in men, it decreased from 1,339.5 pg/ml (48–74,676) to 973 pg/ml (35–8,598); p = 0.361, Figure 2. Table 2 presents the remaining laboratory values.

Figure 1

Figure 1

LVEF in both sexes at 12-month follow-up. LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction; bold indicates significant values.

Table 2

Variables Women Men P-value*
50 196
Echocardiographic values
LVEF%; median (min–max)
Baseline 29.0 (10.0–45.0) 28.0 (3.0–65.0) 0.755
3 months 38.0 (14.0–59.0) 33.0 (5.0–69.0) 0 . 034
6 months 37.0 (15.0–54.0) 32.0 (15.0–60.0) 0 . 05
12 months 40.0 (15.0–59.0) 33.0 (13.0–60.0) 0 . 009
LVEF improvementa; n (%)
NICM 24/26 (92.3) 42/90 (46.7) 0 . 009
ICM 2/26 (7.7) 48/90 (53.3) 0.395
NYHA classification
III; n (%)
Baseline 26/40 (65) 98/169 (58) 0.433
3 months 13/36 (36.1) 45/143 (31.5) 0.634
6 months 14/35 (40) 39/139 (28.1) 0.19
12 months 9/36 (25) 38/134 (28.4) 0.645
IV; n (%)
Baseline 3/40 (7,5) 19/169 (11.2) 0.774
3 months 2/36 (5.6) 8/143 (5.6) 1.00
6 months; n (%) 0/35 (0) 6/139 (4.3) 0.601
12 months; n (%) 0/36 (0) 3/134 (2.2) 1.00
Laboratory values
Potassium mmol/L; median (min–max)
Baseline 4.04 (3–6.5) 4.2 (2.1–5.7) 0.081
3 months 4.19 (3–6) 4.3 (2.9–5.36) 0.234
6 months 4.3 (3.2–5.43) 4.3 (2.7–5.6) 0.952
12 months 4.33 (3.51–5.7) 4.2 (2.86–5.7) 0.156
GFR ml/min; median (min–max)
Baseline 56 (26–110) 54.4 (10–128) 0.919
3 months 51 (27–95.6) 51.5 (21–117) 0.949
6 months 43 (19–100) 53.5 (3–128.8) 0.244
12 months 49 (11–95) 53 (14–102) 0.588
TNI ng/ml; median (min–max)
Baseline 0.093 (0.009–71.85) 0.06 (0.013–138.69) 0.625
3 months 0.015 (0.002–0.78) 0.021 (0.014–0.302) 0.205
6 months 0.039 (0.015–0.07) 0.05 (0.013–0.88) 0.474
12 months 0.019 (0.015–0.054) 0.015 (0.005–14.94) 0.658
NT-proBNP pg/ml; median (min–max)
Baseline 2,085 (257–26,778) 1,339.5 (48–74,676) 0.131
3 months 668 (139–15,505) 1,159 (31–13,324) 0.451
6 months 657 (193–26,041) 951.5 (78–5,210) 0.976
12 months 551 (69–6,054) 973 (35–8,598) 0.361
Hb g/dl; median (min–max)
Baseline 13.45 (8.2–17) 13.9 (8.2–17.8) 0 . 034
3 months 13.3 (9.4–16.4) 13.7 (8.8–18.3) 0.058
6 months 13 (11.1–15.7) 13.8 (9.3–17.6) 0 . 03
12 months 13.1 (9–17.1) 13.9 (7.1–17.2) 0.058
HbA1c%; median (min–max)
Baseline 6.1 (4.3–9.7) 6.2 (4.7–11.5) 0.61
3 months 5.95 (5.2–8.7) 6.8 (5.2–12.2) 0.121
6 months 7.4 (5.5–45.1) 6.5 (5.3–11.7) 0.303
12 months 6 (5.3–14.4) 6.2 (5.2–11.4) 0.435

Echocardiographic, LVEF improvement, laboratory, and NYHA classifications in women versus men with hFrEF at baseline and 12-month follow-up after sacubitril/valsartan.

n, number of data; LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction; NICM, non-ischemic cardiomyopathy; ICM, ischemic cardiomyopathy; NYHA, New York Heart Association; GFR, glomerular filtration rate; NT-proBNP, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide; Hb, hemoglobin; HbA1c, glycosylated hemoglobin; bold indicates significant values.

a

An improvement in LVEF was defined as an increase of ≥5% in LVEF at 12-month follow-up.

*

P-values for the comparison between subgroups.

Figure 2

Figure 2

NT-proBNP in both sexes at 12-month follow-up.

Clinical outcomes

The mortality rate (primary endpoint) was comparable in both sexes at the 12-month follow-up (4% vs. 6.7%; p = 0.742). Ventricular tachyarrhythmias at the 12-month follow-up were comparable between the two groups (VF: 4.5% vs. 0.6%; p = 0.121; VT: 2.3% vs. 3.9%; p = 1.00). Hospitalization and congestion at the 12-month follow-up were also comparable in both sexes following the initiation of sacubitril/valsartan, as shown in Table 3.

Table 3

Variables Women Men P-value*
Mortality; n (%)
Baseline 0/50 (0) 2/195 (1) 1.00
3 months 2/50 (4) 6/195 (3.1) 1.00
6 months 0/50 (0) 5/195 (2.6) 0.742
Total mortality rate at 12 months 2/50 (4) 13/195 (6.7) 0.742
Hospitalization; n (%)
Baseline 26/50 (52) 117/193 (60.6) 0.335
3 months 15/49 (30.6) 81/192 (42.2) 0.147
6 months 32/47 (69.1) 105/185 (56.8) 0.167
12 months 33/47 (70.2) 120/177 (67.8) 0.769
Congestion; n (%)
Baseline 14/43 (32.6) 65/183 (35.5) 0.732
3 months 3/39 (7.7) 16/151 (10.6) 0.769
6 months 2/34 (5.9) 12/147 (8.2) 1.00
12 months 4/35 (11.4) 14/138 (10.1) 0.762
Atrial fibrillation; n (%)
Baseline 21/50 (42) 93/194 (47.9) 0.472
3 months 1/50 (2) 3/182 (1.6) 1.00
6 months 1/43 (2.3) 1/170 (0.6) 0.362
12 months 2/44 (4.5) 6/162 (3.7) 0.679
Ventricular fibrillation; n (%)
Baseline 4/50 (8) 20/194 (10.3) 0.793
3 months 1/50 (2) 4/177 (2.3) 0.58
6 months 1/39 (2.6) 3/149 (2.) 1.00
12 months 2/44 (4.5) 1/156 (0.6) 0.121
Non sustained ventricular tachycardia; n (%)
Baseline 3/50 (6) 26/194 (13.4) 0.152
3 months 1/49 (2) 8/181 (4.4) 0.688
6 months 1/43 (2.3) 10/171 (5.8) 0.698
12 months 0/44 (0) 4/158 (2.5) 0.579
Sustained ventricular tachycardia; n (%)
Baseline 3/50 (6) 25/194 (12.9) 0.176
3 months 1/50 (2) 3/181 (1.7) 1.00
6 months 1/43 (2.3) 3/171 (1.8) 1.00
12 months 1/43 (2.3) 6/155 (3.9) 1.00

Clinical outcomes in women as compared to men with hFrEF at 12-month follow-up.

n, number of data.

*

P-values for the comparison between subgroups.

Predictor of ventricular tachyarrhythmias and mortality

Female sex was not identified as a predictor for the occurrence of ventricular tachyarrhythmias or mortality rate at 12 months; hazard ratio (HR) 0.586 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.17–2.016; p = 0.397] for ventricular tachyarrhythmias; HR 1.898 (95% CI 0.381–9.464; p = 0.434) for mortality rate. However, amiodarone was identified as a negative predictor for the occurrence of ventricular tachyarrhythmias at the 12-month follow-up (HR 11.402 (95% CI 2.313–60.567; p = 0.017), Tables 4, 5.

Table 4

Variable Univariate analysis Multivariate analysis
HR 95% CI P-value HR 95% CI P-value
Patient characteristics
Age >65 0.568 0.228–1.415 0.225
Female as sex 0.586 0.17–2.016 0.397
Medical history
BMI ≥30 0.837 0.26–2.69 0.765
Smoking 0.984 0.386–2.506 0.972
COPD 1.42 0.465–4.337 0.538
Arterial hypertension 0.53 0.186–1.506 0.233
DM type II 0.764 0.327–1.786 0.535
Positive family history 1.333 0.441–4.028 0.611
History of malignancy 0.717 0.21–2.452 0.596
Cardiac decompensation 1.259 0.403–3.933 0.692
Coronary heart disease 0.372 0.119–1.161 0.089
Stroke 2.067 0.655–6.517 0.215
Coronary bypass 1.909 0.756–4.819 0.171
Drugs on admission
Beta-blocker 0.995 0.227–4.368 0.995
ARB 0.974 0.393–2.414 0.954
Aldosterone antagonist 1.019 0.388–3.066 0.974
ACEI 0.819 0.342–1.962 0.655
Diuretics 1.362 0.453–4.097 0.583
Platelet aggregation inhibitors 0.759 0.312–1.844 0.542
Anticoagulation 0.817 0.327–2.038 0.664
Amiodarone 9.805 1.606–59.884 0 . 013 11.402 2.313–60.567 0.017
Statin 0.751 0.286–1.972 0.561
Metformin 1.078 0.389–2.985 0.8,851
Insulin 0.515 0.148–1.792 0.297
SGLT2-inhibitor 2.486 0.305–20.242 0.395
DPP-4-inhibitor 0.891 0.201–3.958 0.881

Predictors of ventricular tachyarrhythmias at 12-month follow-up.

HR, hazard ratio; CI, confidence interval; NICM, non-ischemic cardiomyopathy; ICM, ischemic cardiomyopathy; BMI, body-mass-index; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; ARB, angiotensin II receptor blocker; ACEI, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor; SGLT2, sodium-glucose transport protein 2; DPP-4, dipeptidyl peptidase 4; bold indicates significant results.

Table 5

Variable Univariate analysis
HR 95% CI P-value
Patient characteristics
Age >65 0.154 0.014–1.703 0.127
Female as sex 1.898 0.381–9.464 0.434
NICM 0.555 0.182–1.691 0.301
ICM 1.467 0.503–4.28 0.482
Medical history
BMI ≥30 3.533 0.973–13.32 0.062
Smoking 1.843 0.635–5.351 0.261
COPD 0.968 0.26–3.603 0.961
Arterial hypertension 0.672 0.139–3.257 0.622
DM type II 2.498 0.678–9.204 0.169
Positive family history 1.683 0.444–6.382 0.444
History of malignancy 0.776 0.212–2.836 0.701
Cardiac decompensation 2.111 0.453–9.872 0.341
Coronary heart disease 4.128 0.542–32.526 0.178
Stroke 0.571 0.175–1.857 0.351
Coronary bypass 0.909 0.281–2.944 0.873
Arrhythmia before sacubitril/valsartan
AF 0.614 0.211–1.788 0.371
NSVT 0.811 0.252–2.614 0.726
Drugs on admission
ARB 1.55 0.483–4.98 0.461
Aldosterone antagonist 1.393 0.475–4.082 0.546
ACEI 1.488 0.511–4.331 0.466
Ivabradine 0.501 0.063–3.981 0.513
Platelet aggregation inhibitors 1.09 0.371–3.205 0.875
Anticoagulation 0.753 0.262–2.168 0.599
Statin 0.892 0.266–2.986 0.852
Insulin 2.646 0.654–10.706 0.172
DPP-4-inhibitor 0.657 0.139–3.102 0.596

Predictors of 12-month mortality.

HR, hazard ratio; CI, confidence interval; NICM, non-ischemic cardiomyopathy; ICM, ischemic cardiomyopathy; BMI, body-mass-index; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; DM, diabetes mellitus; AF, atrial fibrillation; NSVT, non-sustained ventricular tachycardia; ARB, angiotensin II receptor blocker; ACEI, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor; DPP-4, dipeptidyl peptidase 4.

Discussion

The present study examines the impact of sacubitril/valsartan on women and men over a 12-month period. The primary findings of this study are as follows: (1) Female sex was not identified as a predictor for the occurrence of ventricular tachyarrhythmias or mortality. (2) Mortality, ventricular tachyarrhythmias, hospitalization, and congestion were comparable in both sexes. (3) There was a significantly greater improvement in LVEF in women than in men.

Sex differences represent a traditional risk factor, as well as sex-specific risk factors that influence the prevalence and manifestation of HF in unique ways. Ischemic heart disease, which results in myocardial dysfunction and ICM, is the primary cause of HFrEF. The majority of patients with HFrEF are men, while women tend to display heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) (12). The reasons for this finding remain unclear. Several biological, epidemiological, and clinical characteristics are discussed in generating this observation. Among these are differences in heart morphology and structure of women and men, a lower incidence of ischemic heart disease but a higher mortality rate due to acute myocardial ischemia in women, an influence of sex hormones and their receptors, and finally, an influence of the maternally inherited mitochondria on the cardiovascular system (12). All of them being in part the reason for the Yentl Syndrome. The unequal distribution of sexes among patients with HFrEF is exemplified by the fact that even the large PARADIGM-HF study, which introduced sacubitril/valsartan as a treatment for HFrEF, demonstrated an unequal number of women and men (13). In our study, fewer women than men were present, although the enrollment process specifically included each patient starting on sacubitril/valsartan in our hospital. In accordance with the aforementioned primary etiology of HFrEF, our study revealed that coronary artery disease and ICM were less prevalent in women than in men. Despite the potential efficacy of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and novel thienopyridines in the treatment of ICM, NICM may result from tachycardiomyopathy, myocarditis, or other potentially reversible conditions with higher recovery rates. This also explains the observed differences in LVEF improvement, with women demonstrating a higher rate of improvement than men. Furthermore, we postulated that the prevalence of scar tissue in ICM patients is higher than in NICM. Consequently, the improvement in LVEF observed in women is attributable to a higher incidence of NICM in this group. Previous study has also reported that patients with HFrEF showed an improvement in LVEF after the initiation of sacubitril/valsartan therapy (14). Notably, in a smaller subset of our cohort from a prior study, women demonstrated greater LVEF improvement than men at the 12-month follow-up (15). While another study has identified female sex as an independent predictor of functional class improvement, our findings do not support this association (16).

The clinical outcomes, including mortality and hospitalization, were found to be comparable in both groups, as corroborated by the findings of our study (17). In a meta-analysis, women and men with HFrEF exhibited similar rates of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and HF hospitalizations (17). A different study found that women with HFrEF were more likely to be hospitalized and to have NYHA classes III or IV than men while being treated with ACEI and ARB, but not sacubitril/valsartan. Furthermore, other comorbidities were observed in women, including anemia (12). Registry data indicated that female sex was a predictor of functional class improvement (16). However, Dewan et al. reported that women with HFrEF exhibited a more unfavorable outcome than men (8). Nevertheless, further studies with a larger number of women are required to ascertain the long-term outcomes of women with HFrEF.

Regarding the risk of ventricular tachyarrhythmias, female sex was not identified as a predictor. In general, it has been reported that the initiation of sacubitril/valsartan was associated with a lower degree of VT/VF, resulting in a reduction in the number of ICD interventions (18). Moreover, sacubitril/valsartan was found to reduce ventricular arrhythmias and appropriate ICD shocks as well as cardiac arrest in patients with HFrEF compared to ACEIs and ARBs (1923). Another study demonstrated that NICM patients with reduced EF and ICD undergoing sacubitril/valsartan treatment experienced a reduction in the incidence of both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, along with an improvement in ICD atrial electrical parameters (24). In addition, sacubitril/valsartan was found to be associated with a reduction in acute systemic inflammatory markers, as well as a reduction in total scar and border zone mass on late gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging with decreasing the risk of ventricular arrhythmias (25). However, other studies have reported no effect of sacubitril/valsartan on arrhythmias (26). The beneficial effect on ventricular arrhythmias may be attributed to a direct pharmacological effect of sacubitril/valsartan on cardiac reverse remodeling and/or small-conductance Ca2+-activated potassium channel type 2 (KCNN2)-associated electrical remodeling (27, 28). However, data on sex differences in HFrEF are limited.

Summarizing, the long-term mortality rate was comparable between women and men. The improvement in LVEF observed in women may be attributed to a variety of factors, including different etiologies. However, it is also possible that other, as yet unknown, reasons may be responsible.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated the effectiveness of sacubitril/valsartan in patients with HFrEF, regardless of sex. Moreover, female sex was not identified as a predictor of ventricular tachyarrhythmias or mortality. However, LVEF showed a more pronounced improvement in women, which may be due to the higher prevalence of NICM in this group.

Study limitations

This study is a retrospective single-center study with a limited follow-up period and a small number of patients. LVEF was not systematically evaluated using, for example, cardiac magnetic resonance tomography. NYHA class was evaluated without using a qualitative evaluation questionnaire. Some patients did not receive the target dose in ambulatory practice. LVEF was evaluated by the same cardiologists to reduce the intra- and inter-observer variability. Therefore, caution is required when interpreting the data. Furthermore, it is not possible to exclude the possibility of bias due to unknown confounders, given the retrospective nature of the study. The documentation of arrhythmias was conducted via device interrogation. However, this study represents real-world data, which provides valuable insights into the efficacy of sacubitril/valsartan in clinical practice.

Statements

Data availability statement

The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/Supplementary Material, further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.

Ethics statement

The studies involving humans were approved by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine, Mannheim Heidelberg University. The studies were conducted in accordance with the local legislation and institutional requirements. Written informed consent for participation was not required from the participants or the participants legal guardians/next of kin in accordance with the national legislation and institutional requirements.

Author contributions

MA: Conceptualization, Formal Analysis, Investigation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. CK: Data curation, Methodology, Resources, Software, Writing – review & editing. JD: Data curation, Methodology, Resources, Software, Writing – review & editing. CP: Data curation, Methodology, Resources, Software, Writing – review & editing. TS: Supervision, Validation, Visualization, Writing – review & editing. MB: Supervision, Validation, Visualization, Writing – review & editing. KS: Supervision, Validation, Visualization, Writing – review & editing. IE-B: Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, Supervision, Writing – review & editing. NH: Conceptualization, Supervision, Writing – review & editing. IA: Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, Project administration, Supervision, Writing – review & editing.

Funding

The author(s) declare that no financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Generative AI statement

The author(s) declare that no Generative AI was used in the creation of this manuscript.

Publisher’s note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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Summary

Keywords

sex, women, men, sacubitril/valsartan, ARNI, ventricular tachyarrhythmias

Citation

Abumayyaleh M, Krack C, Demmer J, Pilsinger C, Schupp T, Behnes M, Sattler K, El-Battrawy I, Hamdani N and Akin I (2024) Sex differences and clinical outcomes, including ventricular tachyarrhythmias, of patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction treated with sacubitril/valsartan. Front. Cardiovasc. Med. 11:1503414. doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2024.1503414

Received

28 September 2024

Accepted

06 December 2024

Published

19 December 2024

Volume

11 - 2024

Edited by

Anita Cote, Trinity Western University, Canada

Reviewed by

Julie KK Vishram-Nielsen, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Gordana Krljanac, University of Belgrade, Serbia

Updates

Copyright

* Correspondence: Mohammad Abumayyaleh

Disclaimer

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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