Valsartan in Chronic Heart Failure
Researchers assessed 5,010 heart failure patients who were given either 160 mg of angiotensin-receptor blocker valsartan or a placebo twice daily. The primary outcomes studied were death rates and a combined measure of death and morbidity, such as incidents of cardiac arrest, heart failure hospitalizations, or receipt of specific heart treatments. The results showed that mortality was about the same in both groups. However, the combined death and morbidity rate was 13.2% lower in the valsartan group than the placebo group. Researchers concluded valsartan can reduce mortality and morbidity in heart failure patients and improve their clinical condition when added to their usual treatment. However, there are concerns about the safety of combining valsartan, an ACE inhibitor, and a beta-blocker.
Candesartan in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure
A study aimed to determine if angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers combined with angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors enhance clinical results for patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). A total of 2,548 CHF patients on ACE inhibitors with a New York Heart Association class of II-IV and a left-ventricular ejection fraction of 40% or lower were randomly assigned candesartan or a placebo. The main measurement for the study was the combination of cardiovascular death or hospitalization due to CHF. After an average of 41 months, Candesartan reduced each of the components of the primary outcome significantly, as well as the total number of hospital admissions for CHF. The study concluded that adding candesartan to ACE inhibitor treatments considerably reduces cardiovascular events in CHF patients with decreased left-ventricular ejection fraction.
Representation of Women in Heart Failure Clinical Trials
A recent review examined the current state of women’s participation in heart failure trials. The review found that even with four decades of growth in HF research, women’s representation in clinical trials doesn’t match their prevalence in the HF patient population. In the US, nearly 50% of adults with HF are women. However, their representation in trials has seen minimal change over 30 years. Factors like older age at the time of enrollment, government-funded trials, and female trial leadership are linked to higher participation of women, but these links warrant further research. The concluding data showed that challenges based on gender and sex persist, necessitating targeted solutions both within trials and at the patient level, with collaborative efforts spanning federal, academic, community, and industry sectors being essential to bridge these disparities.
