The EMPHASIS-HF trial studied the effects of adding eplerenone to recommended medical therapy in patients with systolic heart failure and mild symptoms. The trial found that adding eplerenone reduced the primary composite outcome of cardiovascular death or heart failure hospitalization by 37% compared to placebo. Eplerenone also reduced mortality from any cause by 24% and hospitalization from any cause by 23%. The benefits were consistent across subgroups. Safety analysis found eplerenone increased serum potassium similarly to other trials. The study concluded that addition of eplerenone to recommended medical therapy reduces morbidity and mortality for patients with mild systolic heart failure.
2. Eplerenone in Patients with
Systolic Heart Failure and Mild
Symptoms
Faiez Zannad, M.D., Ph.D., John J.V. McMurray, M.D.,
Henry Krum, M.B., Ph.D., Dirk J. van Veldhuisen, M.D.,
Ph.D., Karl Swedberg, M.D., Ph.D., Harry Shi, M.S., John
Vincent, M.B., Ph.D., Stuart J. Pocock, Ph.D., Bertram
Pitt, M.D., for the EMPHASIS-HF Study Group
Original Article
N Engl J Med
Volume 364(1):11-21
January 6, 2011
4. Definition of Heart Failure
The current American College of Cardiology Foundation
(ACCF)/American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines
define HF as
a complex clinical syndrome that results from structural or
functional impairment of ventricular filling or ejection of blood,
which in turn leads to the cardinal clinical symptoms of dyspnea
and fatigue and signs of HF, namely edema and rales.
Because many patients present without signs or
symptoms of volume overload, the term heart failure is
preferred over the older term congestive heart failure.
5. Classification EF (%) Description
HF with reduced EF
(HFrEF)
40 systolic HF; RCTs have mainly enrolled
these HF patients; only in these pts have
efficacious therapies been demonstrated
HF with preserved EF
(HFpEF)
50 diastolic HF; dx is challenging due to
excluding other noncardiac causes of
symptoms suggestive of HF; efficacious
therapies have not been identified
HFpEF, borderline 41-49 Characteristics, treatment patterns, and
outcomes appear similar to those of pts
with HFpEF
HFpEF, improved >40 Subset of pts who previously had HFrEF
8. Aldosterone Antagonists
Drugs Spironolactone Eplerenone
MOA Non selective Selective
Effect on androgen and
progesterone
+++ +/-
S/E Increase K, Mg
Decrease CO2,
Metabolic acidosis
Gynecomastia, hirsutism,
Increase K, Mg
Decrease CO2,
Metabolic acidosis
Dose 25 mg OD 25-50mg OD
Use HF (IV) Post MI HF (II/III)
Cost Cheaper Expensive
9. Disclosure Information
EMPHASIS-HF was funded by Pfizer.inc
Eplerenone is approved for treating heart
failure after myocardial infarction.
10. Mineralocorticoid Receptor
Antagonists in Heart Failure
Randomized Aldactone Evaluation Study
(RALES) 1999
Eplerenone PostAcute Myocardial
Infarction Heart Failure Efficacy and
Survival Study (EPHESUS) 2003
11. RALES:
Randomized Aldactone Evaluation Study
In patients with severe heart failure and
left ventricular ejection fraction <35%,
Spironolactone reduced:
All-cause mortality
Sudden death and death due to
progression of heart failure
Benefit was independent of age, ejection
fraction, cause of heart failure and
concurrent therapy
12. EPHESUS:
Eplerenone PostAcute Myocardial Infarction Heart
Failure Efficacy and Survival Study
The addition of eplerenone to optimal
medical therapy contributes to the
continued improvement in survival and
hospitalization rates among patients with
acute myocardial infarction complicated by
left ventricular dysfunction and heart
failure
13. Aim of EMPHASIS-HF
to investigate the effects of eplerenone,
added to evidence-based therapy, on
clinical outcomes in patients with systolic
heart failure and mild symptoms (i.e.,
NYHA functional class II symptoms.
15. Inclusion Criteria
>55 years of age
NYHA functional class II
Ejection fraction <30% (or, if betwn 30 to 35%, a QRS
>130 msec)
Treated with the recommended or maximal tolerated
dose of ACE inhibitor (or an ARB or both) and a beta-
blocker (unless contraindicated)
Within 6 months of hospitalization for a cardiovascular
reason (if no such hospitalization, BNP>250 pg/ml or N-
pro-BNP>500 pg/ml in men and 750 pg/ml in women
16. Exclusion Criteria
Acute myocardial infarction
NYHA class III or IV heart failure
Serum potassium level >5.0 mmol/L
eGFR<30 ml/min/1.73 m2
Need for a potassium sparing diuretic, and
Any other clinically significant coexisting
condition
18. Sample Size
The initial assumptions
2584 patients
Annual event rate 18% in the placebo group
813 primary events in 48 months
80% power to detect an 18% risk reduction
June 2009
Overall blinded event rate lower than expected
Sample size increased to 3100 patients
19. Early Stopping
May 6th 2010
DSMCs second interim analysis showed
overwhelming benefit beyond the prespecified
stopping boundary for benefit (2 sided P-value
=0.000001in favour of eplerenone)
May 9th 2010
Agreed to stop patient enrollment
May 25th 2010
Trial cut off date
38. Conclusion
In patients with systolic heart failure and
mild symptoms, addition of eplerenone to
recommended medical therapy
39. TOPCAT 2014:
Treatment of Preserved Cardiac Function Heart Failure
With an Aldosterone Antagonist Trial
Addition of spironolactone for heart failure
with preserved ejection fraction didnt
reduce the primary outcome.