Consistency of HFrEF treatment effect in underrepresented groups in randomized clinical trials
Guillaume Baudry, Luca Monzo, Mark C. Petrie, Nicolas Girerd, Ileana L. Piña, Alexandre Mebazaa, Javed Butler, Leïla Abid, Faı̈ez Zannad, Harriette G.C. Van Spall
Abstract
Despite the established efficacy of heart failure (HF) guideline-directed medical therapies, implementation varies across demographic groups, including Black, Indigenous, and people of color, older adults, females, and those who are socioeconomically deprived. This review synthesizes the representativeness of trial participants and describes subgroup analyses from pivotal trials in HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). It reviews the largely consistent treatment effect of medical therapies across the demographic groups represented in trials. It makes arguments for broad implementation of therapies based on these data, while calling for more representative trials to improve research and health equity in HF.