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Apararenone in patients with diabetic nephropathy: results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 dose-response study and open-label extension study.
Wada, T, Inagaki, M, Yoshinari, T, Terata, R, Totsuka, N, Gotou, M, Hashimoto, G
Clinical and experimental nephrology. 2021;(2):120-130
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Abstract
BACKGROUND We investigated the efficacy and safety of apararenone (MT-3995), a non-steroidal compound with mineralocorticoid receptor agonist activity, in patients with stage 2 diabetic nephropathy (DN). METHODS The study had two parts: a dose-response, parallel-group, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, phase 2, 24-week study and an open-label, uncontrolled, 28-week extension study. Primary and secondary endpoints were the 24-week percent change from baseline in urine albumin to creatine ratio (UACR) and 24- and 52-week UACR remission rates. Safety parameters were changes from baseline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and serum potassium at 24 and 52 weeks, and incidences of adverse events (AEs) and adverse drug reactions (ADRs). RESULTS In the dose-response period, 73 patients received placebo and 73, 74, and 73 received apararenone 2.5 mg, 5 mg, and 10 mg, respectively. As a percentage of baseline, mean UACR decreased to 62.9%, 50.8%, and 46.5% in the 2.5 mg, 5 mg, and 10 mg apararenone groups, respectively, at week 24 (placebo: 113.7% at week 24; all P < 0.001 vs placebo). UACR remission rates at week 24 were 0.0%, 7.8%, 29.0%, and 28.1% in the placebo and apararenone 2.5 mg, 5 mg, and 10 mg groups, respectively. eGFR tended to decrease and serum potassium tended to increase, but these events were not clinically significant. AE incidence increased with dose while ADR incidence did not. CONCLUSION The UACR-lowering effect of apararenone administered once daily for 24 weeks in patients with stage 2 DN was confirmed, and the 52-week administration was safe and tolerable. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT02517320 (dose-response study) and NCT02676401 (extension study).
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Reduced circulating levels of chemokine CXCL14 in adolescent girls with polycystic ovary syndrome: normalization after insulin sensitization.
García-Beltran, C, Cereijo, R, Quesada-López, T, Malpique, R, López-Bermejo, A, de Zegher, F, Ibáñez, L, Villarroya, F
BMJ open diabetes research & care. 2020;(1)
Abstract
OBJECTIVE CXCL14 (C-X-C motif chemokine ligand-14) is a chemokine released by active brown fat, showing protective effects against insulin resistance in experimental models. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in adolescent girls is usually related to hepato-visceral fat excess and insulin resistance, and associates with comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes. Treatment with a low-dose combination of one antiandrogen and antimineralocorticoid drug (spironolactone) and two insulin sensitizers (pioglitazone/metformin) (SPIOMET) is particularly effective in improving these metabolic derangements. Adipose tissue may be involved in the metabolic alterations of PCOS, and it is a likely target of therapeutic action. We investigated the alterations in CXCL14 levels and the effects of drugs composing SPIOMET treatment on CXCL14 in human adipocytes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We studied 51 adolescent patients with PCOS and 21 age-matched healthy controls. Thirty-one adolescent patients with PCOS under SPIOMET or oral contraception-based treatment were also studied. For studies in vitro, Simpson Golabi Behmel Syndrome (SGBS) adipose cells were used. Gene expression for CXCL14 and other genes was quantified using quantitative real-time PCR. The levels of CXCL14 and adipokines in serum and cell culture media were determined by ELISA. RESULTS Serum CXCL14 levels are reduced in patients with PCOS. One-year SPIOMET treatment normalized CXCL14 concentrations and improved the metabolic status of patients with PCOS. Pioglitazone induced CXCL14 expression in differentiating human SGBS adipocytes, in parallel with the induction of marker genes of brown adipogenesis. Spironolactone induced CXCL14 expression and release in differentiated human adipocytes. CONCLUSION Insulin sensitization with SPIOMET normalizes the abnormally low levels of CXCL14 in girls with PCOS. This is consistent with the effects of pioglitazone and spironolactone inducing CXCL14 expression and promoting a brown-like phenotype in adipocytes. CXCL14 may be a novel biomarker for PCOS as well as a potential mediator of the beneficial effects of the SPIOMET combination and may hold promise as a therapeutic modulator of the disorder. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBERS ISRCTN29234515 and ISCRCTN11062950.
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Spironolactone Use and Improved Outcomes in Patients With Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction With Resistant Hypertension.
Tsujimoto, T, Kajio, H
Journal of the American Heart Association. 2020;(23):e018827
Abstract
Background Resistant hypertension is a salt-retaining condition possibly attributable to inappropriate aldosterone secretion. Methods and Results This study was a secondary analysis of the TOPCAT (Treatment of Preserved Cardiac Function Heart Failure With an Aldosterone Antagonist) trial. Patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) with (n=1004) and without (n=2437) resistant hypertension were included. Resistant hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure ≥130 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥80 mm Hg in a patient with hypertension, despite the concurrent use of a renin-angiotensin system blocker (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker), a calcium channel blocker, and a diuretic; or as those patients using ≥4 classes of antihypertensive medication. The primary outcome was a composite of cardiovascular death, aborted cardiac arrest, or heart failure hospitalization. We analyzed hazard ratios (HRs) for outcomes with 95% CIs in the spironolactone group and compared them with the placebo group using Cox proportional hazard models. The risk of primary outcome events in patients with HFpEF with resistant hypertension was significantly lower in the spironolactone group than in the placebo group (HR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.53-0.91; P=0.009), whereas the risk of primary outcome events in patients with HFpEF without resistant hypertension was not significantly different between the 2 groups (HR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.83-1.20; P=0.97). There was a significant interaction between spironolactone use and resistant hypertension (P=0.03). Similar associations were also observed in patients with HFpEF from the Americas (United States, Canada, Brazil, and Argentina) only. Conclusions Spironolactone may be an effective add-on medication for patients with HFpEF with resistant hypertension taking angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers, calcium channel blockers, and diuretics.
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Early detection of diabetic kidney disease by urinary proteomics and subsequent intervention with spironolactone to delay progression (PRIORITY): a prospective observational study and embedded randomised placebo-controlled trial.
Tofte, N, Lindhardt, M, Adamova, K, Bakker, SJL, Beige, J, Beulens, JWJ, Birkenfeld, AL, Currie, G, Delles, C, Dimos, I, et al
The lancet. Diabetes & endocrinology. 2020;(4):301-312
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microalbuminuria is an early sign of kidney disease in people with diabetes and indicates increased risk of cardiovascular disease. We tested whether a urinary proteomic risk classifier (CKD273) score was associated with development of microalbuminuria and whether progression to microalbuminuria could be prevented with the mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist spironolactone. METHODS In this multicentre, prospective, observational study with embedded randomised controlled trial (PRIORITY), we recruited people with type 2 diabetes, normal urinary albumin excretion, and preserved renal function from 15 specialist centres in ten European countries. All participants (observational cohort) were tested with the CKD273 classifier and classified as high risk (CKD273 classifier score >0·154) or low risk (≤0·154). Participants who were classified as high risk were entered into a randomised controlled trial and randomly assigned (1:1), by use of an interactive web-response system, to receive spironolactone 25 mg once daily or matched placebo (trial cohort). The primary endpoint was development of confirmed microalbuminuria in all individuals with available data (observational cohort). Secondary endpoints included reduction in incidence of microalbuminuria with spironolactone (trial cohort, intention-to-treat population) and association between CKD273 risk score and measures of impaired renal function based on estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR; observational cohort). Adverse events (particularly gynaecomastia and hyperkalaemia) and serious adverse events were recorded for the intention-to-treat population (trial cohort). This study is registered with the EU Clinical Trials Register (EudraCT 20120-004523-4) and ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02040441) and is completed. FINDINGS Between March 25, 2014, and Sept 30, 2018, we enrolled and followed-up 1775 participants (observational cohort), 1559 (88%) of 1775 participants had a low-risk urinary proteomic pattern and 216 (12%) had a high-risk pattern, of whom 209 were included in the trial cohort and assigned to spironolactone (n=102) or placebo (n=107). The overall median follow-up time was 2·51 years (IQR 2·0-3·0). Progression to microalbuminuria was seen in 61 (28%) of 216 high-risk participants and 139 (9%) of 1559 low-risk participants (hazard ratio [HR] 2·48, 95% CI 1·80-3·42; p<0·0001, after adjustment for baseline variables of age, sex, HbA1c, systolic blood pressure, retinopathy, urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio [UACR], and eGFR). Development of impaired renal function (eGFR <60 mL/min per 1·73 m2) was seen in 48 (26%) of 184 high-risk participants and 119 (8%) of 1423 low-risk participants (HR 3·50; 95% CI 2·50-4·90, after adjustment for baseline variables). A 30% decrease in eGFR from baseline (post-hoc endpoint) was seen in 42 (19%) of 216 high-risk participants and 62 (4%) of 1559 low-risk participants (HR 5·15, 95% CI 3·41-7·76; p<0·0001, after adjustment for basline eGFR and UACR). In the intention-to-treat trial cohort, development of microalbuminuria was seen in 35 (33%) of 107 in the placebo group and 26 (25%) of 102 in the spironolactone group (HR 0·81, 95% CI 0·49-1·34; p=0·41). In the safety analysis (intention-to-treat trial cohort), events of plasma potassium concentrations of more than 5·5 mmol/L were seen in 13 (13%) of 102 participants in the spironolactone group and four (4%) of 107 participants in the placebo group, and gynaecomastia was seen in three (3%) participants in the spironolactone group and none in the placebo group. One patient died in the placebo group due to a cardiac event (considered possibly related to study drug) and one patient died in the spironolactone group due to cancer, deemed unrelated to study drug. INTERPRETATION In people with type 2 diabetes and normoalbuminuria, a high-risk score from the urinary proteomic classifier CKD273 was associated with an increased risk of progression to microalbuminuria over a median of 2·5 years, independent of clinical characteristics. However, spironolactone did not prevent progression to microalbuminuria in high-risk patients. FUNDING European Union Seventh Framework Programme.
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Mineralocorticoid antagonism enhances brown adipose tissue function in humans: A randomized placebo-controlled cross-over study.
Thuzar, M, Law, WP, Dimeski, G, Stowasser, M, Ho, KKY
Diabetes, obesity & metabolism. 2019;(3):509-516
Abstract
AIM: To investigate whether mineralocorticoid (MC) antagonism enhances brown adipose tissue (BAT) function in humans. MATERIALS AND METHODS In a randomized double-blind, cross-over designed trial, 10 healthy adults (two men, eight women) underwent 2 weeks of spironolactone (100 mg/d) treatment and placebo, with an intervening 2-week wash-out period. BAT function was assessed in response to cooling and to a mixed meal. Metabolic activity was measured by fluoro-deoxyglucose (FDG) uptake (maximal standardized uptake value, SUVmax ) using PET-CT. Thermogenic activity was measured by skin temperatures overlying supraclavicular (SCL) BAT depots using infrared thermography. Postprandial metabolism was measured by energy production rate (EPR) and lipid synthesis using indirect calorimetry. RESULTS During cooling, BAT metabolic activity (SUV 6.30 ± 2.16 vs 3.98 ± 1.34; P < 0.05) and volume (54.9 ± 22.8 vs 21.6 ± 11.8 cm3 ; P < 0.05) were significantly higher, and mean SCL temperature decreased by a smaller degree (-0.3°C°± 0.2°C vs -0.9°C ± 0.2°C; P = 0.05) with spironolactone treatment. A mixed meal increased SCL temperature and EPR. The postprandial rise in SCL temperature (+0.4°C ± 0.1°C vs +0.1°C ± 0.1°C; P < 0.05) but not in EPR was greater during spironolactone treatment. Postprandial lipid synthesis occurred in three participants with placebo but in none with spironolactone treatment (P = 0.06). CONCLUSION MC antagonism enhanced human BAT function in response to cooling and to a meal during which lipid synthesis was suppressed. As postprandial EPR comprises energy dissipated as heat and energy required to store nutrients, the reduction in lipid synthesis during MC antagonism is a probable consequence of concurrent stimulation of BAT thermogenesis. The shift in energy usage from storage to heat dissipation indicates that MC antagonists may have therapeutic benefit for obesity.
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Targeted therapy of underlying conditions improves quality of life in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation: results of the RACE 3 study.
De With, RR, Rienstra, M, Smit, MD, Weijs, B, Zwartkruis, VW, Hobbelt, AH, Alings, M, Tijssen, JGP, Brügemann, J, Geelhoed, B, et al
Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology. 2019;(4):563-571
Abstract
AIMS: Atrial fibrillation (AF) reduces quality of life (QoL). We aim to evaluate effects of targeted therapy of underlying conditions on QoL in patients with AF and heart failure (HF). METHODS AND RESULTS The Routine versus Aggressive risk factor driven upstream rhythm Control for prevention of Early atrial fibrillation in heart failure (RACE 3) study randomized patients with early persistent AF and HF to targeted or conventional therapy. Both groups received guideline-driven treatment. The targeted group received four additional therapies: mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists; statins; angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and/or receptor blockers; and cardiac rehabilitation including physical activity, dietary restrictions, and counselling. Quality of life was analysed in 230 patients at baseline and 1 year with available Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), University of Toronto AF Severity Scale (AFSS) questionnaires, and European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) class. Improvements in SF-36 subscales were larger in the targeted group for physical functioning (Δ12 ± 19 vs. Δ6 ± 22, P = 0.007), physical role limitations (Δ32 ± 41 vs. Δ17 ± 45, P = 0.018), and general health (Δ8 ± 16 vs. Δ0 ± 17, P < 0.001). Dyspnoea at rest improved more (Δ-0.8 ± 1.3 vs. Δ-0.4 ± 1.2, P = 0.018) and EHRA class was lower at 1-year follow-up in the targeted group. Patients with AF at 1 year, improvement in physical functioning (Δ9 ± 9 vs. Δ-3 ± 16, P = 0.001), general health (Δ7 ± 16 vs. Δ-7 ± 19, P = 0.004), and social functioning (Δ6 ± 23 vs. Δ-4 ± 16, P = 0.041) were larger in the targeted group. CONCLUSION A strategy aiming to treat underlying conditions improved QoL more compared with conventional therapy in patients with early persistent AF and HF. Its benefit was even observed in patients in AF at 1 year. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00877643.
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Towards a circulating marker of hepato-visceral fat excess: S100A4 in adolescent girls with polycystic ovary syndrome - Evidence from randomized clinical trials.
Malpique, R, Sánchez-Infantes, D, Garcia-Beltran, C, Taxerås, SD, López-Bermejo, A, de Zegher, F, Ibáñez, L
Pediatric obesity. 2019;(5):e12500
Abstract
S100A4 is a marker of subcutaneous adipose tissue dysfunction. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is often driven by hepato-visceral adiposity. PCOS phenotypes are normalized more by reduction of central fat with spironolactone/pioglitazone/metformin (SPIOMET) than by oral contraceptive (OC) treatment. We studied whether circulating S100A4 concentrations are high in adolescents with PCOS and, if so, whether they normalize more with OC or SPIOMET. Assessments included circulating S100A4, endocrine markers, body composition, abdominal fat partitioning in controls (n = 12) and girls with PCOS (n = 51; age 15.8 y; body mass index [BMI] 24.5 kg/m2 ), and 1-year changes in girls with PCOS randomized for OC (n = 27) or SPIOMET (n = 24) treatment. Mean S100A4 concentrations were 71% higher (P < 0.001) in girls with PCOS than in controls and associated with hepato-visceral adiposity (r = 0.47; P = 0.001); S100A4 concentrations decreased more (P < 0.01) with SPIOMET, those decreases associating to hepato-visceral fat loss (r = 0.50; P < 0.0001). S100A4 may become a circulating marker of hepato-visceral fat excess in adolescents with PCOS.
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Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist pre-treatment and early post-treatment to minimize reperfusion injury after ST-elevation myocardial infarction: The MINIMIZE STEMI trial.
Bulluck, H, Fröhlich, GM, Nicholas, JM, Mohdnazri, S, Gamma, R, Davies, J, Sirker, A, Mathur, A, Blackman, D, Garg, P, et al
American heart journal. 2019;:60-67
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA) therapy has been shown to prevent adverse left ventricular (LV) remodeling in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients with heart failure. Whether initiating MRA therapy prior to primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) accrues additional benefit of reducing myocardial infarct size and preventing adverse LV remodeling is not known. We aimed to investigate whether MRA therapy initiated prior to reperfusion reduces myocardial infarct (MI) size and prevents adverse LV remodeling in STEMI patients. METHODS STEMI patients presenting within 12 hours and with a proximal coronary artery occlusion with Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction flow grade 0 were consented and randomized to either an intravenous bolus of potassium canrenoate, followed by oral spironolactone for 3 months or matching placebo. The primary endpoint was MI size by cardiovascular magnetic resonance at 3 months. RESULTS Sixty-seven patients completed the study. There was no significant difference in the final MI size at 3 months between the 2 groups (placebo: 17 ± 11%, MRA: 16 ± 10%, P = .574). There was also no difference in acute MI size (26 ± 16% versus 23 ± 14%, P = .425) or myocardial salvage (26 ± 12% versus 24 ± 8%, P = .456). At follow-up, there was a trend towards an improvement in LVEF (placebo: 49 ± 8%, MRA: 54 ± 11%, P = .053), and the MRA group had significantly greater percentage decrease in LVEDV (mean difference: -12.2 (95% CI -20.3 to -4.4)%, P = .003) and LVESV (mean difference: -18.2 (95% CI -30.1 to -6.3)%, P = .003). CONCLUSION This pilot study showed no benefit of MRA therapy in reducing MI size in STEMI patients when initiated prior to reperfusion, but there was an improvement in LV remodeling at 3 months. Adequately powered studies are warranted to confirm these findings.
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Reduced Risk of Hyperkalemia During Treatment of Heart Failure With Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists by Use of Sacubitril/Valsartan Compared With Enalapril: A Secondary Analysis of the PARADIGM-HF Trial.
Desai, AS, Vardeny, O, Claggett, B, McMurray, JJ, Packer, M, Swedberg, K, Rouleau, JL, Zile, MR, Lefkowitz, M, Shi, V, et al
JAMA cardiology. 2017;(1):79-85
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Consensus guidelines recommend the use of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) for selected patients with symptomatic heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) to reduce morbidity and mortality; however, the use of MRAs in combination with other inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system increases the risk of hyperkalemia. OBJECTIVE To determine whether the risk of hyperkalemia associated with use of MRAs for patients with HFrEF is reduced by sacubitril/valsartan in comparison with enalapril. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS The PARADIGM-HF (Prospective Comparison of ARNI With an ACE-Inhibitor to Determine Impact on Global Mortality and Morbidity in Heart Failure) trial randomly assigned 8399 patients with chronic HF, New York Heart Association class II to IV symptoms, and a left ventricular EF of 40% or less to treatment with enalapril 10 mg twice daily or sacubitril/valsartan 97/103 mg twice daily (previously known as LCZ696 [200 mg twice daily]) in addition to guideline-directed medical therapy. Use of MRAs was encouraged but left to the discretion of study investigators. Serum potassium level was measured at every study visit. The incidence of hyperkalemia (potassium level >5.5 mEq/L) and severe hyperkalemia (potassium level >6.0 mEq/L) among patients treated or not treated with an MRA at baseline and the risk of subsequent hyperkalemia for those newly treated with an MRA during study follow-up were defined in time-updated Cox proportional hazards models. Analyses were conducted between August 1 and October 15, 2016. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Incident hyperkalemia and severe hyperkalemia. RESULTS In comparison with the 3728 patients (44.4% of enrolled participants [21.6% female]) not taking an MRA at baseline, the 4671 patients (55.6% [22.0% female]) taking an MRA tended to be younger, with a lower EF, lower systolic blood pressure, and more advanced HF symptoms. Among those taking an MRA at baseline, the overall rates of hyperkalemia were similar between treatment groups, but severe hyperkalemia was more common in patients randomly assigned to enalapril than to sacubitril/valsartan (3.1 vs 2.2 per 100 patient-years; HR, 1.37 [95% CI, 1.06-1.76]; P = .02). In analyses including patients who newly started taking MRAs during the PARADIGM-HF trial, severe hyperkalemia remained more common in those randomly assigned to enalapril than to those randomly assigned to sacubitril/valsartan (3.3 vs 2.3 per 100 patient-years; HR, 1.43 [95% CI, 1.13-1.81]; P = .003). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Among MRA-treated patients with symptomatic HFrEF, severe hyperkalemia is more likely during treatment with enalapril than with sacubitril/valsartan. These data suggest that neprilysin inhibition attenuates the risk of hyperkalemia when MRAs are combined with other inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in patients with HF. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01035255.
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The Importance of Worsening Heart Failure in Ambulatory Patients: Definition, Characteristics, and Effects of Amino-Terminal Pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide Guided Therapy.
Mallick, A, Gandhi, PU, Gaggin, HK, Ibrahim, N, Januzzi, JL
JACC. Heart failure. 2016;(9):749-55
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The goal of this study was to define and assess the significance of worsening heart failure (WHF) in patients with chronic ambulatory heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). BACKGROUND WHF has been identified as a potentially relevant clinical event in patients with acute heart failure (HF) and is increasingly used as an endpoint in clinical trials. No standardized definition of WHF exists. It remains uncertain how WHF relates to risk for other HF events or how treatment may affect WHF. METHODS A total of 151 symptomatic patients with chronic HFrEF were randomized to standard of care HF management or a goal to lower N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) concentrations ≤1,000 pg/ml in addition to standard of care. WHF was prospectively defined as: 1) new or progressive symptoms and/or signs of decompensated HF; and 2) unplanned intensification of diuretic therapy. RESULTS Over a mean follow-up of 10 months, 45 subjects developed WHF. At baseline, patients developing incident WHF had higher ejection fraction (31% vs. 25%; p = 0.03), were more likely to have jugular venous distension and edema (p < 0.02), were less likely to receive angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or received these agents at lower doses (p < 0.04), and also received higher loop diuretic doses (p < 0.001). Occurrence of WHF was strongly associated with subsequent HF hospitalization/cardiovascular death (hazard ratio, landmark analysis: 18.8; 95% confidence interval: 5.7 to 62.5; p < 0.001). NT-proBNP-guided care reduced the incidence of WHF in adjusted analyses (hazard ratio: 0.52; p = 0.06) and improved event-free survival (log-rank test p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS In chronic HFrEF, WHF was associated with substantial risk for morbidity and mortality. NT-proBNP-guided care reduced risk for WHF.