Dapagliflozin and Timing of Prior Heart Failure Hospitalization: A Patient-Level Meta-Analysis of DAPA-HF and DELIVER

Background: Patients recently hospitalized for heart failure (HF) are at a higher risk of adverse clinical outcomes, but they may experience a greater absolute and relative benefit from effective therapies than individuals who are considered more "stable."

Objectives: The authors examined the effects of dapagliflozin according to the timing of prior HF hospitalization in a patient-level pooled analysis of DAPA-HF (Dapagliflozin and Prevention of Adverse Outcomes in Heart Failure) and DELIVER (Dapagliflozin Evaluation to Improve the Lives of Patients with Preserved Ejection Fraction Heart Failure).

Methods: A total of 11,007 patients were randomized in DAPA-HF and DELIVER. The primary outcome was the composite of worsening HF or cardiovascular death.

Results: In total, 12.4% were hospitalized for HF within 3 months of randomization, 14.2% between 3 and 12 months, and 16.8% more than 1 year before randomization, whereas 56.5% had not been hospitalized. The risk of the primary endpoint was inversely associated with time from prior HF hospitalization, and patients with a recent HF hospitalization had the highest risk. Compared with placebo, dapagliflozin reduced the risk of the primary outcome across HF hospitalization category (0-3 months, HR: 0.66 [95% CI: 0.55-0.81]; 3-12 months, HR: 0.73 [95% CI: 0.59-0.90]; >1 year, HR: 0.91 [95% CI: 0.74-1.12]; and no prior hospitalization, HR: 0.83 [95% CI: 0.73-0.94]; P_interaction = 0.09). The number of patients needed to treat with dapagliflozin to prevent 1 event over the median follow-up of 22 months was 13, 20, 23, and 28, respectively. The beneficial effect was consistent across the range of LVEF regardless of HF hospitalization category.

Conclusions: The relative benefits of dapagliflozin were consistent across the range of LVEF regardless of the timing of the most recent HF hospitalization with a greater absolute benefit in patients with recent hospitalization.