IMR Press / RCM / Volume 24 / Issue 9 / DOI: 10.31083/j.rcm2409257
Open Access Original Research
Analysis of Physician Compliance with Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy for Patients with Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction: A Real-World Study
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1 The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, 510630 Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
2 Infectious Department, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, 2262110 Nanchong, Sichuan, China
3 Department of Gerontology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, 2262110 Nanchong, Sichuan, China
4 Department of Cardiology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, 637002 Nanchong, Sichuan, China
5 Undergraduate in Clinical Medicine, North Sichuan Medical College, 2262110 Nanchong, Sichuan, China
*Correspondence: hhxiang17@163.com (Houxiang Hu)
These authors contributed equally.
Rev. Cardiovasc. Med. 2023, 24(9), 257; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.rcm2409257
Submitted: 3 January 2023 | Revised: 7 March 2023 | Accepted: 27 March 2023 | Published: 18 September 2023
Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

Background: Although compliance with the guideline recommendations for heart failure (HF) is associated with improved survival, the effects of medication on clinical practice often fail to meet expectations due to physician and/or patient-related reasons that are unclear. This study analyzed physicians’ compliance with guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) based on real-world clinical data and identified risk factors of low compliance. Methods: This study included patients with HF, who were treated at the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College from July 2017 to June 2021. All patients were divided into high compliance, moderate compliance, and low compliance with GDMT groups. The proportion of patients receiving treatment in compliance with GDMT was analyzed, the relationship between compliance with GDMT and clinical outcomes was evaluated, and the risk factors of low compliance were identified. Results: Of all patients with HF included in the study, 498 (23.8%) had low compliance with GDMT, 1413 (67.4%) had moderate compliance with GDMT, and 185 (8.8%) had high compliance with GDMT. The readmission rate of patients in the moderate compliance with GDMT group was significantly higher than that in the high and low compliance groups (p = 0.028). There were no significant differences in the rates of severe cardiovascular disease among the three groups. The mortality rate of patients in the high compliance with GDMT group was significantly higher than that of the other groups (p < 0.001). We found that a history of hypertension; New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification (III and IV vs. I); and abnormal heart rate, high-sensitive troponin T (hsTnT), N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), uric acid, and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) were all significantly associated with low compliance with GDMT. Conclusions: The proportion of physicians’ compliance with GDMT in treating patients with HF is low. Risk factors of low compliance include hypertension; NYHA classification (III and IV vs. I); and abnormal heart rate, hsTnT, NT proBNP, uric acid, and LVDD.

Keywords
heart failure
guideline-directed medical therapy
compliance
real-world study
Funding
21ZD004/Major Projects of Sichuan Provincial Health Commission
2021YJ0208/Science and Technology Department of Sichuan Province Project
2021YJ0210/Science and Technology Department of Sichuan Province Project
2022LC009/Research Project Foundation of Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College
2021ZK002/Research Project Foundation of Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College
2021LC011/Research Project Foundation of Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College
Figures
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