Incidence, Determinants, and Prognostic Significance of Hyperkalemia and Worsening Renal Function in Patients with Heart Failure Receiving the Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonist Eplerenone or Placebo Additional to Optimal Medical Therapy: Results from the Eplerenone in Mild Patients Hospitalization and Survival Study in Heart Failure (EMPHASIS-HF)

• BACKGROUND: -Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA) improve outcomes in patients with systolic heart failure (HF), but may induce a worsening of renal function (WRF) and/or hyperkalemia (HK). We assessed the risk factors for MRA-related WRF and for HK, as well as the association between HK and WRF with clinical outcomes in the Eplerenone in Mild Patients Hospitalization and Survival Study in Heart Failure (EMPHASIS-HF) METHODS AND RESULTS: -Serial changes in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and in serum potassium were available in 2737 patients during a median 21-month follow-up. HK variably defined as serum K>4.5, 5 or 5.5 mmol/L occurred in 74.7 %, 32.5 %, and 8.9 % of EMPHASIS-HF patients, respectively. WRF defined as a decrease in eGFR > 20% or >30% from baseline occurred in 27% and 14% of patients, respectively. Patients assigned eplerenone displayed modest and early but significant and persistent i) rise in serum potassium, and ii) reduction in eGFR compared with placebo. In multivariate analyses, eplerenone was associated with a higher incidence of WRF and HK, which were interrelated and also associated with baseline patient characteristics (e.g. age >/=75 years, hypertension, diabetes, non-white race, ejection fraction <30%, and treatment with an antiarrythmics drug or loop diuretic). Eplerenone retained its survival benefits, without any significant interaction with the association between HK >5.5 mmol/l only and WRF and worse outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: -In HF patients receiving optimal therapy, WRF and HK were more frequent when eplerenone was added, but their occurence did not eliminate the survival benefit of eplerenone. Clinical Trial Registration-URL: http://www.ClinicalTrials.gov number. Unique identifier: NCT00232180.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

heart failure

kidney

potassium

prognosis

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