Left atrial mechanics improvement after initiation of sacubitril-valsartan

Introduction Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Recently, in the PARADIGM-HF, sacubitrilvalsartan was superior to enalapril in reducing death and hospitalization for heart failure, and there is a growing interest in determining the structural changes besides reverse left ventricular remodelling. Purpose To determine if, in patients treated with sacubitril-valsartan, there was a change in left atrial (LA) mechanics quantified by two-dimensional strain echocardiography (2D-STE). Methods A total of 38 consecutive patients with HFrEF, followed in an outpatient heart failure clinic, were recruited. Population characteristics are summarized in Table 1. 2D-STE was used to measure left atrial strain in the reservoir phase (LASr) (Figure 1) and strain rate (LA-SR) before and 3 months after initiation of sacubitril-valsartan. Results There was a significant improvement in LASr (11.3±6.5% vs 14.2±7.4%, p=0.006) and LA-SR (0.55±0.25 s-1 vs 0.69±0.31 s-1, p=0.008) after initiation of sacubitril-valsartan. There was also a significant reduction in N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels (1443.5 pg/ml (Interquartile range [IQR], 772–2912) vs 1112.0 pg/ml (IQR, 510–1455), p=0.016) and a tendency towards reduction in left atrial volume index (LAVI) (54.6±17.0 ml/m2 vs 51.4±18.8 ml/m2, p=0.053). The change in LASr and LA-SR was not related with the dose of sacubitril-valsartan (p=0.089). Conclusion In this population of HFrEF patients LA mechanics, as determined by 2D-STE, as well as NT-proBNP levels, significantly improved after treatment with sacubitril-valsartan.