Reverse Remodeling is Associated With Hemodynamic Improvement and Stabilization in Outpatients With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction Treated With Sacubitril/Valsartan: an Echocardiographic Study

Therapeutic interventions were made according to a titration protocol in stable optimal medical therapy. Therapy with sacubitril/valsartan was introduced after a 48-hour wash-out of an ACE inhibitor or after a 24-hour wash-out of an angiotensin receptor antagonist. Doses of sacubitril/valsartan were optimized to individual tolerability.

Echocardiography was performed at baseline and after 12 months. LV end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes were calculated according to the biplane Simpson's method according to the recommendations of the American Society of Echocardiography and European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging. Doppler examinations included assessment of early diastolic filling velocity and early diastolic mitral annular velocity, an averaged E/e' ≥ 13 was considered a surrogate marker of increased filling pressure.

The LV stroke volume was calculated as the product of the LV outflow tract area and the time-velocity integral of the aortic flow velocity or was evaluated as the difference between LVEDV and LVESV. The LVSV index was estimated as LVSV divided by body surface area. Cardiac output (CO) was measured as stroke volume times heart rate, and the cardiac index was estimated by dividing CO by body surface area.

Patients who presented reverse remodeling were considered those exhibiting a ≥ 10% increase in ejection fraction and ≥15% reduction in end-systolic volume compared to baseline.

The accuracy of the sources data was verified by using in-hospital medical records, computerized or paper, by checking data from ultrasound images, laboratory reports or ambulatory cardiological tests.