Aims: Large-scale clinical trials have demonstrated clinical benefits of sacubitril-valsartan in symptomatic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction patients (PARADIGM-HF), with potential benefits in patients hospitalized for acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) (PIONEER-HF) and fewer benefits in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (PARAGON-HF). The aim of this study was to evaluate eligibility for sacubitril-valsartan using criteria described in PIONNER-HF in non-selected patients hospitalized for ADHF.

Methods and results: Between November 2014 and May 2019, 799 patients were recruited in a prospective registry of acute heart failure at the University Hospitals of Geneva (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02444416). The cohort consists of consecutive patients admitted to the Department of Medicine with ADHF. Eligibility for sacubitril-valsartan was determined using criteria described in PIONEER-HF, including left ventricular ejection fraction, clinical parameters, and co-morbidities. Of 799 patients, 123 (15.39%) were eligible for sacubitril-valsartan treatment. Clinical outcomes including all-cause mortality and readmission were similar in eligible and non-eligible groups, hazard ratio 1.02 (95% confidence interval 0.81-1.29, P = 083).

Conclusions: Using current criteria from randomized controlled trials, only 15% of non-selected patients admitted for ADHF are theoretically eligible for sacubitril-valsartan. Eligibility for sacubitril-valsartan using published criteria is not associated with worse outcome, suggesting that further evaluation of benefits of sacubitril-valsartan in heart failure patients based on parameters other than left ventricular ejection fraction may be of interest.