Guideline‐directed medical therapy assessment in heart failure patients undergoing percutaneous mitral valve repair

Abstract

Abstract Aims Achieving optimized guideline‐directed medical therapy (GDMT) is recommended prior to transcatheter mitral valve edge‐to‐edge repair (M‐TEER) for secondary mitral regurgitation (SMR). We aimed to propose and validate an easy‐to‐use score for assessing the quality of GDMT in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) undergoing M‐TEER. Methods and results Among the 1641 EuroSMR patients enrolled in the EuroSMR Registry who underwent M‐TEER, a total of 1072 patients [median age 74, interquartile range (IQR) 67–79 years, 29% female] had complete data on GDMT and a left ventricular ejection fraction ≤ 40% and were included in the current study. We proposed a GDMT score that considers the dosage levels of three medication classes (angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers/angiotensin receptor‐neprilysin inhibitors, beta‐blockers, and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists), with a maximum score of 12 points indicating optimal GDMT. The primary outcome was all‐cause mortality. The median GDMT score was 4 points (IQR 3–6). All three domains of the scoring system were associated with all‐cause mortality (P < 0.05 for all). The overall GDMT score was associated with all‐cause mortality (hazard ratio 0.90, 95% confidence interval 0.86–0.95 for each 1‐point increase in the GDMT score). This association remained significant after adjusting for renal function and co‐morbidities. Conclusions This study demonstrates the utility of a simple GDMT scoring system for assessing the adequacy of GDMT in HFrEF patients with relevant SMR undergoing M‐TEER. The GDMT score has potential applications in guiding the design of future clinical trials and aiding clinical decision‐making processes.

Keywords

• Mitral regurgitation
• Guideline‐directed medical therapy
• Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction