Findings from University of Niigata Provides New Data on Heart Failure (Relationship Between Medical Therapy, Long-term Care Insurance, and Comorbidity In Elderly Patients With Heart Failure With Systolic Dysfunction): Heart Disorders and Diseases – Heart Failure

2023 SEP 12 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Hospital & Nursing Home Daily -- Research findings on Heart Disorders and Diseases - Heart Failure are discussed in a new report. According to news reporting out of Niigata, Japan, by NewsRx editors, research stated, “Although guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT), including & beta;-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi)/angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs), improves survival and quality of life, most patients with heart failure with reduced (HFrEF) and mildly reduced (HFmrEF) ejection fraction are treated with inadequate medications. We investigated the prescription patterns of GDMT in elderly patients with HFrEF and HFmrEF and their characteristics, including the certification of long-term care insurance (LTCI), which represents frailty and disability.”

Financial support for this research came from Medical Association of Niigata City.

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from the University of Niigata, “This retrospective cross-sectional study analyzed 1,296 elderly patients with symptomatic HFrEF and HFmrEF with diuretic use (median age 78 years; 63.8% male; median left ventricular ejection fraction 40%). Prescription rates of GDMT were inadequate (ACEi, ARBs, & beta;-blockers, and MRAs: 27.0%, 30.1%, 54.1%, and 41.9%, respectively). LTCI certification was independently associated with reduced prescription of all medications (ACEi/ARB: odds ratio [OR] 0.591, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.449-0.778, P=0.001; & beta;-blockers: OR 0.698, 95% CI 0.529-0.920, P<0.001; MRAs: OR 0.743, 95% CI 0.560-0.985, P=0.052). Patients with LTCI certification also had a high prevalence of polypharmacy and prescription of diuretics.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Vulnerable patients with LTCI may be an explanation for the challenges in implementing GDMT, and communicating is required for favorable heart failure care in this population.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Relationship Between Medical Therapy, Long-term Care Insurance, and Comorbidity In Elderly Patients With Heart Failure With Systolic Dysfunction. Circulation Journal, 2023;87(8). Circulation Journal can be contacted at: Japanese Circulation Soc, 18TH Floor Imperial Hotel Tower, 1-1-1 Uchisaiwai-Cho Chiyoda-Ku, Toyko, 100-0011, Japan.

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Mayumi Kase, University of Niigata, Dept. of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, 1-757 Asahimachidori, Chuo Ku, Niigata 9518510, Japan. Additional authors for this research include Shinya Fujiki, Takeshi Kashimura, Tohru Minamino, Takayuki Inomata, Yuji Okura, Kunio Kodera, Hiroshi Watanabe, Kazuyoshi Takahashi, Shogo Bannai, Taturo Hatano, Takahiro Tanaka and Nobutaka Kitamura.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1253/circj.CJ-22-0830. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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