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Published on: February 14, 2021

Chronic baroreflex activation: a potential therapeutic approach to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

Dimitrios Georgakopoulos1, William C Little, William T Abraham

  • 1CVRx Inc., 9201 West Broadway Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55445, USA. dgeorgakopoulos@cvrx.com

Journal of Cardiac Failure
|February 9, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Baroreflex activation therapy (BAT) shows promise for treating heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). The HOPE4HF trial will assess its safety and effectiveness in patients with this condition.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Medical Devices
  • Clinical Trials

Background:

  • Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a major public health concern with poor patient outcomes and high healthcare costs.
  • Currently, no therapies have demonstrated efficacy in randomized clinical trials for HFpEF.
  • Hypertension is a primary comorbidity in HFpEF patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review evidence supporting Baroreflex activation therapy (BAT) as a potential treatment for HFpEF.
  • To introduce the HOPE4HF trial (NCT00957073), a randomized outcomes trial evaluating BAT in HFpEF.

Main Methods:

  • Baroreflex activation therapy (BAT) involves stimulating carotid sinuses with an implanted device (Rheos).
  • The HOPE4HF trial is a randomized outcomes study.
  • The trial will evaluate the clinical safety and efficacy of BAT in the HFpEF population.

Main Results:

  • Evidence suggests potential benefits of BAT for HFpEF, including regression of left ventricular hypertrophy.
  • BAT may normalize sympathovagal balance and inhibit the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system.
  • Potential benefits also include arterio- and venodilation and renal function preservation.

Conclusions:

  • Baroreflex activation therapy (BAT) presents a promising therapeutic strategy for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).
  • The HOPE4HF trial is crucial for determining the clinical safety and efficacy of BAT in this patient population.

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