Bridging the gap in the symptomatic heart failure patient journey: insights from the Italian scenario

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Heart Failure Management

Background:

• Prognosis for heart failure (HF) patients is poor, characterized by high mortality and reduced quality of life (QOL) and functional status.
• Ongoing HF management needs and patient epidemiology in Italian clinics require exploration, with a focus on cardiac contractility modulation (CCM).

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the ongoing needs in heart failure (HF) management.
• To investigate the epidemiology of patients followed by Italian HF clinics.
• To assess the role and physician perception of cardiac contractility modulation (CCM) in HF management.

Main Methods:

• Data collected from 14 Italian HF outpatient clinics over 4 weeks.
• Survey distributed to physicians involved in HF management across Italian centers.
• Analysis of patient data and physician responses regarding treatment options and CCM.

Main Results:

• Despite regular follow-up for 94% of patients, 30% receive insufficient therapies.
• Lack of treatment options reported for 23% of symptomatic patients with reduced ejection fraction (EF) and 66% without reduced EF.
• Approximately 3% of the HF population meets criteria for CCM, perceived as useful by 15% of physicians.

Conclusions:

• Cardiac contractility modulation (CCM) could benefit numerous heart failure patients, especially the elderly.
• CCM has the potential to reduce hospitalizations and improve functional capacity and QOL in heart failure patients.
• Despite a small percentage meeting immediate criteria, CCM represents a valuable therapeutic option.