Treatment of Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction
Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is managed with a structured, evidence-based pharmacological approach aimed at reducing morbidity, hospitalisations, and cardiovascular mortality.
Treatment Approach
Current guidelines recommend initiating guideline-directed medical therapy across multiple drug classes simultaneously at low doses — renin-angiotensin system inhibition is one foundational component — with titration toward target doses as tolerated. The full class selection criteria, decision algorithm, and titration targets are detailed in the complete protocol.
Clinical Target
Elimination of clinical evidence of fluid retention and maintenance of euvolemia.
References
DOI: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000001063
- Inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system is recommended to reduce morbidity and mortality for patients with HFrEF, and ARNi, ACEi, or ARB are recommended as first-line therapy.
- In patients with HFrEF and NYHA class II to III symptoms, the use of ARNi is recommended to reduce morbidity and mortality.
- In patients with previous or current symptoms of chronic HFrEF, the use of ACEi is beneficial to reduce morbidity and mortality when the use of ARNi is not feasible.
- In patients with previous or current symptoms of chronic HFrEF who are intolerant to ACEi because of cough or angioedema and when the use of ARNi is not feasible, the use of ARB is recommended to reduce morbidity and mortality.
- In patients with HFrEF, with current or previous symptoms, use of 1 of the 3 beta blockers proven to reduce mortality (eg, bisoprolol, carvedilol, sustained-release metoprolol succinate) is recommended to reduce mortality and hospitalizations.
- In patients with HFrEF and NYHA class II to IV symptoms, an MRA (spironolactone or eplerenone) is recommended to reduce morbidity and mortality, if eGFR is >30 mL/min/1.73 m² and serum potassium is <5.0 mEq/L.
- In patients with symptomatic chronic HFrEF, SGLT2i are recommended to reduce hospitalization for HF and cardiovascular mortality, irrespective of the presence of type 2 diabetes.
- In patients with HF who have fluid retention, diuretics are recommended to relieve congestion, improve symptoms, and prevent worsening HF.
- The treatment goal of diuretic use is to eliminate clinical evidence of fluid retention, using the lowest dose possible to maintain euvolemia.
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