Pulmonary Artery Pressure-Guided Management of Patients With Heart Failure and Reduced Ejection Fraction

Despite increased use of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT), some patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) remain at high risk for hospitalization and mortality. Remote monitoring of pulmonary artery (PA) pressures provides clinicians with actionable information to help further optimize medications and improve outcomes.

CHAMPION (CardioMEMS Heart Sensor Allows Monitoring of Pressure to Improve Outcomes in NYHA Class III Heart Failure Patients trial) analyzed PA pressure-guided heart failure (HF) management in patients with HFrEF based on their ability to tolerate GDMT.

CHAMPION enrolled 550 patients with chronic HF regardless of left ventricular ejection fraction. A pre-specified sub-group analysis compared HF hospitalization and mortality rates between treatment and control groups in HFrEF patients (left ventricular ejection fraction ≤40%). Post hoc analyses in patients who tolerated GDMT were also performed. Hospitalizations and mortality were assessed using Andersen-Gill and Cox proportional hazards models.

In 456 patients with HFrEF, HF hospitalization rates were 28% lower in the treatment group than in the control group (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.59 to 0.88; p = 0.0013), with a strong trend for 32% lower mortality (HR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.45 to 1.02; p = 0.06). A 445-patient subset received at least 1 GDMT (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker, or beta-blocker) at baseline; these patients had 33% lower HF hospitalization rates (HR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.54 to 0.82; p = 0.0002) and 47% lower mortality (HR: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.41 to 0.96, p = 0.0293) than controls. Compared with controls, patients receiving both components of optimal GDMT (n = 337) had 43% lower HF hospitalizations (HR: 0.57; 95% CI: 0.45 to 0.74; p < 0.0001) and 57% lower mortality (HR: 0.43; 95% CI: 0.24 to 0.76; p = 0.0026).

PA pressure-guided HF management reduces morbidity and mortality in patients with HFrEF on GDMT, underscoring the important synergy of addressing hemodynamic and neurohormonal targets of HF therapy. (CardioMEMS Heart Sensor Allows Monitoring of Pressure to Improve Outcomes in NYHA Class III Heart Failure Patients [CHAMPION]; NCT00531661).