Effect of Vericiguat vs Placebo on Quality of Life in Patients With Heart Failure and Preserved Ejection Fraction: The VITALITY-HFpEF Randomized Clinical Trial
RCT (n=789) found that among patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, vericiguat, an oral soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator, did not improve the physical limitation score of the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire vs placebo.
Source:
Journal of the American Medical Association
SPS commentary:
A separate study found that praliciguat another soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator did not improve outcomes in this group of patients vs placebo.
A related editorial discusses the implications of these studies. It concludes that overall, the results of these 2 randomised clinical trials of soluble guanylate cyclase stimulators in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) suggest that targeting this pathway is not an effective population-based strategy to improve physical functioning for patients with HFpEF in the short term. However, due to the approaches for patient selection, the length of follow-up, and the end points chosen, these studies do not negate the potential that these agents may have to improve outcomes. Future studies should select patients with HFpEF based on demonstrable endothelial dysfunction, and patients should be followed up longer for an end point such as a reduction in HF hospitalisation.