Effectiveness of Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy for Acute Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction in Frail Elderly Patients With Malnutrition.

Background: The appropriateness of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) in malnourished elderly patients is unclear. This study aims to assess the effects of GDMT on acute heart failure (AHF) with reduced ejection fraction in this specific population using the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI).

Methods and results: We retrospectively collected data of patients aged >75 years who were admitted to St. Luke's International Hospital for AHF with reduced ejection fraction from 2011 to 2022. Malnutrition was defined as a GNRI score <92. GDMT was defined as the prescription of 3 or more of the medications for HFrEF at the time of discharge. Among 467 patients, 345 (73.9%) had malnutrition. In the low GNRI group, GDMT was associated with a lower all-cause mortality at 1 year (HR 0.46; 95% CI 0.24-0.89; P=0.021), but not in heart failure (HF) readmission (HR 0.83; 95% CI 0.55-1.25; P=0.364) at 1 year after discharge. In the high GNRI group, GDMT was not significantly associated with these outcomes (all-cause mortality: HR 0.59; 95% CI 0.12-3.06; P=0.534; HF readmission: HR 0.55; 95% CI 0.29-1.05; P=0.069).

Conclusions: Implementation of GDMT in AHF with reduced ejection fraction may enhance prognosis, even among elderly patients with malnutrition.