HFrEF and Worsening Heart Failure: Key Insights to Optimize Management and the Role of sGC Modulators
This activity is supported by an educational grant from Merck & Co., Inc.
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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 with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is defined as left ventricular ejection fraction of ≤40%. Patients with HFrEF have a high risk for 2-year mortality and recurrent HF hospitalizations. In guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT), recommendations for pharmacological treatment are specified for the different stages and types of HF. However, a large proportion of patients with chronic HFrEF either do not receive GDMT or are underdosed in clinical practice. Moreover, 1 in 6 patients will develop worsening heart failure, defined as 1) progressive signs and symptoms of HF for which medical treatment is warranted despite the use of GDMT; and 2) history of a worsening HF event necessitating the need for intravenous (IV) diuretics regardless of setting, HF hospitalization, an urgent visit requiring IV diuretics, or an emergency department visit. Worsening HF has been associated with a 2-year mortality rate of 22.5% and very poor use of GDMTs both before and after the onset of worsening HF. Recently published treatment guidelines have been updated to include recommendations for the use of novel agents, including soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) modulators for the treatment of HFrEF. However, data indicate that physicians do not consistently apply guidelines recommendations, resulting in suboptimal outcomes in patients with HFrEF.
In this interactive educational activity, expert faculty will review the current treatment guidelines for HF and explore the role and clinical evidence supporting the use of sGC modulators for the treatment of HFrEF. This activity features Rapid-Fire Roundtable discussions to highlight clinical pearls for the treatment of HFrEF as well as case vignettes to illustrate best practices for the application of GDMTs and clinical trial data to practice.
Target Audience
The target audience for this activity is cardiologists, cardiology nurses, cardiology nurse practitioners, cardiology physician associates, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals involved in the management of patients with heart failure (HF).
Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion of this activity, participants should be better able to:
- Examine the burden and unmet needs of patients with HFrEF and worsening HF, as well as barriers to the implementation of GDMT.
- Apply updated guideline recommendations pertaining to the management of HFrEF and worsening HF into practice.
- Identify the mechanisms of action of sGC modulators, their clinical evidence, and role in current HF treatment paradigms.
Activity Chair
James L. Januzzi, Jr., MD, FACC, FESC
Hutter Family Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Director GDMT Clinic, Cardiology Division
Massachusetts General Hospital
Director of Heart Failure and Biomarker Trials
Baim Institute for Clinical Research
Boston, MA
Faculty
Biykem Bozkurt, MD, PhD, FACC, FAHA, FHFSA
The Mary and Gordon Cain Chair and Professor of Medicine
Senior Dean of Faculty
Director, Winters Center for Heart Failure Research
Assoc. Director, Cardiovascular Research Institute
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX
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
Patient
Joseph E. May
Planners/Reviewers
Ronald A. Codario, MD, EMBA, FACP, FNLA, RPVI, CHCP
Linda A. Giarraputo, BS, PA-C
Barbara A. Niedz, PhD, RN, CPHQ
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 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in 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 1.25 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.
Nurse practitioners can apply for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™ through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB). AANPCB will accept AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™ from organizations accredited by ACCME.
This enduring material is approved for 1 year from the date of original release, December 15, 2023, to December 14, 2024.
How to Participate in This Activity and Obtain CE Credit
To participate in this 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 5 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, Contact Hour(s) certificate, or AAPA Category 1 CME credit 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)
Biykem Bozkurt, MD, PhD, FACC, FAHA, FHFSA
Consultant: Amgen, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Cytokinetics, Daiichi Sankyo, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Regeneron, Roche
Clinical Event Committee: Cardurion, Novo Nordisk, Renovacor
Javed Butler, MD, MPH, MBA
Consultant: American Regent, Amgen, Applied Therapeutics, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, CVRx, Cardior, Cytokinetics, Imbria, Impulse Dynamics, Innolife, Janssen, Lexicon, Medtronic, Merck, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Occlutech, Roche, Secretome, Sequana, Tricog, Vifor
Speaker Contracted by Ineligible Company: AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Impulse Dynamics, Janssen, Novartis
James L. Januzzi, Jr., MD, FACC, FESC
Consultant: AstraZeneca, Bayer, Beckman Coulter, Bristol Myers Squibb, Boehringer lngelheim, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche
Independent Research Contractor: Applied Therapeutics, AstraZeneca, HeartFlow, Innolife, Novartis, Roche
Board of Directors: Imbria
Patient reports the following relevant financial relationship(s)
Joseph E. May
No relevant financial relationships to disclose.
Planners/Reviewers reports 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.
Barbara A. Niedz, PhD, RN, CPHQ
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.
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