HFrEF and Worsening HF: Evolving Perspectives on Management

Overview

Provider Statement

This continuing education activity is provided by 

Support Statement

This activity is supported by an educational grant from Merck & Co., Inc.

Activity Description

Heart failure (HF) affects 64 million people worldwide and is the number 1 cause of hospitalization among patients aged ≥65 years. Multiple barriers to improving patient outcomes in HF exist, especially regarding gaps in provider knowledge of guideline-directed medical therapy, recommended pharmacological treatment, and lack of standard protocols. Recent guideline updates for the management of HF include new recommendations for the use of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) modulators in select patient populations, as they have both been proven to reduce hospitalizations due to HF. Studies on sGC modulators have also reported other benefits, including prevention, and even reversal, of left ventricular hypertrophy and fibrosis as well as reduction of ventricular afterload through systemic and pulmonary vasodilation. In this CE activity, experts in the field describe the burden of HF and barriers for care, review recent guideline updates and recommendations, and assess the safety and efficacy of sGC modulators in the treatment of HF.

Target Audience

The intended audience for this activity is cardiologists, primary care physicians, physician associates, nurse practitioners, and other healthcare professionals involved in the management of patients with heart failure.

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this activity, participants should be better able to:

• Describe the burden of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and worsening HF.
• Review the recently updated guideline recommendations and interprofessional strategies for the management of HFrEF and worsening HF.
• Summarize the mechanisms of action of sGC modulators and their safety and efficacy in the treatment of HFrEF.

Activity Chair

Ileana L. Piña, MD, MPH, FAHA, FACC, FHFSA
Professor of Medicine
Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, PA
Clinical Professor of Medicine
Central Michigan University College of Medicine
Mount Pleasant, MI
Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology and Biostats
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH

Faculty

Javed Butler, MD, MPH, MBA
President
Maxwell A. and Gayle H. Clampitt Endowed Chair
Baylor Scott and White Research Institute
Dallas, TX
Distinguished Professor of Medicine
University of Mississippi
Jackson, MS

Shelley Zieroth, MD, FCCS, FHFSA(hon), FESC, FACC, FHFA, FRCPC
Cardiologist Director
SBH Heart Failure and Transplant Clinics
Head Medical Heart Failure Program
WRHA Cardiac Sciences Program
Winnipeg, MB

Planners/Reviewers

Ronald A. Codario, MD, EMBA, FACP, FNLA, RPVI, CHCP
Linda A. Giarraputo, BS, PA-C

Accreditation

In support of improving patient care, Vindico Medical Education is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Credit Designation

Vindico Medical Education designates this enduring material for a maximum of 0.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 0.75 Medical Knowledge MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Participants will earn MOC points equivalent to the amount of CME credits claimed for the activity. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.

Participants who opt in by providing their ABIM ID and DOB (MM/DD) will earn MOC points equivalent to the amount of CME credits claimed for the activity.

Vindico Medical Education has been authorized by the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credit for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for 0.75 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. Approval is valid until August 30, 2024. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.

This activity is approved for 0.75 contact hour(s) of continuing education (which includes 0.25 hour(s) of pharmacology) by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners®. Activity ID# 23086265. This activity was planned in accordance with AANP Accreditation Standards and Policies.

This enduring material is approved for 1 year from the date of original release, August 31, 2023, to August 30, 2024.

How to Participate in This Activity and Obtain CE Credit

To participate in this CME activity, you must read the objectives, answer the polling and pretest questions, view the content, and complete the posttest and evaluation. Provide only one (1) correct answer for each question. A satisfactory score is defined as answering 4 of the 6 posttest questions correctly. If a satisfactory score on the posttest is achieved, Vindico Medical Education will issue an AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™ certificate, AAPA Category 1 CME Certificate, or AANP Contact Hour Certificate.

Disclosures

Vindico Medical Education adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a continuing education activity, including faculty, planners, reviewers, or others, are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (commercial interests). All relevant conflicts of interest have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.

Relationship information is accurate at the time of content development.

Activity Chair and Faculty report the following relevant financial relationship(s)

Javed Butler, MD, MPH, MBA
Consultant: Abbott, American Regent, Amgen, Applied Therapeutics, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, CVRx, Cardiac Dimensions, Cardior, Cytokinetics, Edwards Lifesciences, G3 Pharmaceuticals, Imbria, Impulse Dynamics, Innolife, Ionis, Janssen, Lexicon, LivaNova, Medtronic, Merck, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Occlutech, Otsuka, Pharmacosmos, Roche, Sanofi, Secretome, Sequana, Tricog, Vifor
Speaker Contracted by Ineligible Company: AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Impulse Dynamics, Eli Lilly, Novartis

Ileana L. Piña, MD, MPH, FAHA, FACC, FHFSA
Advisor: Boehringer Ingelheim

Shelley Zieroth, MD, FCCS, FHFSA(hon), FESC, FACC, FHFA, FRCPC
Advisor: AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cytokinetics, GSK, Janssen, Lilly, Merck, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Otsuka, Pfizer, Roche, Servier, Vifor
Speaker Contracted by Ineligible Company: AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cytokinetics, GSK, Janssen, Lilly, Merck, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Otsuka, Pfizer, Roche, Servier, Vifor
Independent Research Contractor: AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cytokinetics, GSK, Janssen, Lilly, Merck, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Otsuka, Pfizer, Roche, Servier, Vifor
Clinical Trial Committee/National Lead: AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer

Planners/Reviewers report the following relevant financial relationship(s)

Ronald A. Codario, MD, EMBA, FACP, FNLA, RPVI, CHCP
No relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Linda A. Giarraputo, BS, PA-C
No relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Vindico Medical Education staff report the following relevant financial relationship(s)

No relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Signed disclosures are on file at Vindico Medical Education, Office of Medical Affairs and Compliance.

Unlabeled and Investigational Usage

The audience is advised that this continuing education activity may contain references to unlabeled uses of FDA-approved products or to products not approved by the FDA for use in the United States. The faculty members have been made aware of their obligation to disclose such usage. All activity participants will be informed if any speakers/authors intend to discuss either non–FDA-approved or investigational use of products/devices.

ADA Compliance

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, we will make all reasonable efforts to accommodate persons with disabilities. A text-based transcript of this Podcast is available upon request. Requests should include the Podcast title and emailed to CME@VindicoCME.com. Requests will be honored within 3 to 5 business days.

Copyright Statement

Created and published by Vindico Medical Education, 6900 Grove Road, Building 100, Thorofare, NJ 08086-9447. Telephone: 856-994-9400; Fax: 856-384-6680. Printed in the USA. Copyright © 2023 Vindico Medical Education. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. The material presented at or in any Vindico Medical Education continuing education activity does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Vindico Medical Education. Neither Vindico Medical Education nor the faculty endorse or recommend any techniques, commercial products, or manufacturers. The faculty/authors may discuss the use of materials and/or products that have not yet been approved by the FDA. All readers and continuing education participants should verify all information before treating patients or utilizing any product.

CE Questions?

Contact us at cme@vindicoCME.com