Assessing the Efficacy and Safety of Finerenone in Heart Failure with Mildly Reduced Ejection Fraction
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Reviewed by Dat Tien Nguyen, B.A, ScM.
Translated by Nhi Phuong Quynh Le, B.A |
Posted on December 4th, 2024
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Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists are commonly used to treat heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, but their effectiveness in patients with less severe forms of the disease remains unclear. Finerenone is a nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist that helps reduce water retention in the body. Bayer funded a study to evaluate the effectiveness of finerenone in managing heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction.
The study involved 6,001 participants with an average age of 72, all diagnosed with heart failure and a left ventricular ejection fraction of at least 40%. The patients had elevated levels of natriuretic peptides, with a median concentration of approximately 1,000 pg/mL. Additionally, the participants had mildly reduced kidney function, with a median estimated glomerular filtration rate of around 62 mL/min/1.73 m². The patients were randomly assigned to receive either a placebo or finerenone orally, at a daily dose of 20 or 40 mg, depending on their kidney function. After a median follow-up of 32 months, the researchers found that finerenone reduced the risk of hospitalization due to heart failure by 16%. Further analysis showed that finerenone helped slow the progression of heart failure but did not reduce the risk of mortality from cardiovascular causes. However, finerenone use significantly increased the risk of hyperkalemia. The researchers also noted that they did not observe the renal benefits previously reported with finerenone.
The study involved 6,001 participants with an average age of 72, all diagnosed with heart failure and a left ventricular ejection fraction of at least 40%. The patients had elevated levels of natriuretic peptides, with a median concentration of approximately 1,000 pg/mL. Additionally, the participants had mildly reduced kidney function, with a median estimated glomerular filtration rate of around 62 mL/min/1.73 m². The patients were randomly assigned to receive either a placebo or finerenone orally, at a daily dose of 20 or 40 mg, depending on their kidney function. After a median follow-up of 32 months, the researchers found that finerenone reduced the risk of hospitalization due to heart failure by 16%. Further analysis showed that finerenone helped slow the progression of heart failure but did not reduce the risk of mortality from cardiovascular causes. However, finerenone use significantly increased the risk of hyperkalemia. The researchers also noted that they did not observe the renal benefits previously reported with finerenone.