Abstract
Background Heart failure constitutes one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in Western countries, in which it is also the leading cause of hospitalization in elderly patients. The pharmacological therapy of patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) has greatly improved during the last years.
Summary The quadruple therapy (sacubitril/valsartan, beta-blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors) is nowadays the cornerstone of medical treatment since it associates lower risk of heart failure hospitalizations and mortality (also of arrhythmic origin). Cardiac arrhythmias, including sudden cardiac death, are common in patients with HFrEF, entailing worse prognosis. Previous studies addressing the role of blocking the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and beta-adrenergic receptors in HFrEF have suggested different beneficial effects on arrhythmia mechanisms. Therefore, the lower mortality associated with the use of the four pillars of HFrEF therapy depends, in part, on lower sudden (mostly arrhythmic) cardiac death.
Key Messages In this review, we highlight and assess the role of the four pharmacological groups that constitute the central axis of the medical treatment of patients with HFrEF in clinical prognosis and prevention of arrhythmic events, with special focus on the elderly patient, since evidence supports most benefits provided are irrespective of age, but elderly HF patients receive less frequently guideline recommended medical treatment.
S. Karger AG, Basel
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