Pulse Reduction On Beta-blocker and Ivabradine Therapy

Summary

Heart failure with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (HFrEF) is the most common form of chronic heart failure in subjects ≤ 75 years of age. Beta-blocker therapy greatly reduces mortality and improves ventricular function in HFrEF patients, but 30-40% of patients do not show improvement in ventricular function with beta blockade. An extensive gene signaling network downstream from the beta1-adrenergic receptor, the primary target of beta-blocker therapy is likely important for development and progression HFrEF. Pathologic changes in this gene signaling network are only reversed towards normal levels when ventricular function improves. One potential mechanism for failure to improve ventricular function in HFrEF patients unresponsive to beta blocker therapy is a lack of heart rate reduction. Ivabradine is an FDA-approved medication believed to have therapeutic benefit in HFrEF patients through reduction in heart rate independent of beta-blockade. Ivabradine has been shown to reduce the risk of hospitalization for worsening HF in patients with stable, symptomatic chronic heart failure with reduced EF (≤ 35%)in sinus rhythm with resting heart rate ≥ 70 bpm and who are on maximally tolerated doses of beta blockers or who have a contraindication to beta blockers. Given the high rate of mortality and hospitalization of HFrEF patients even with current therapies, there is a large unmet need for improving HFrEF therapy. The goals of this study are to test the hypothesis that heart rate reduction is an important antecedent for improvement in ventricular function, and to identify components of the beta1-adrenergic receptor gene signaling network responsible for improvement in ventricular function caused by heart rate reduction.

Timeline

Start

2016-11

Primary completion

2022-12

Completion

2023-06-30

Publications

• Background Kao DP, Lowes BD, Gilbert EM, Minobe W, Epperson LE, Meyer LK, Ferguson DA, Volkman AK, Zolty R, Borg CD, Quaife RA, Bristow MR. Therapeutic Molecular Phenotype of beta-Blocker-Associated Reverse-Remodeling in Nonischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy. Circ Cardiovasc Genet. 2015 Apr;8(2):270-83. doi: 10.1161/CIRCGENETICS.114.000767. Epub 2015 Jan 30.
• Background Lowes BD, Zolty R, Minobe WA, Robertson AD, Leach S, Hunter L, Bristow MR. Serial gene expression profiling in the intact human heart. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2006 May;25(5):579-88. doi: 10.1016/j.healun.2006.01.006. Epub 2006 Apr 11.
• Background Lowes BD, Gilbert EM, Abraham WT, Minobe WA, Larrabee P, Ferguson D, Wolfel EE, Lindenfeld J, Tsvetkova T, Robertson AD, Quaife RA, Bristow MR. Myocardial gene expression in dilated cardiomyopathy treated with beta-blocking agents. N Engl J Med. 2002 May 2;346(18):1357-65. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa012630.
• Background Tardif JC, O'Meara E, Komajda M, Bohm M, Borer JS, Ford I, Tavazzi L, Swedberg K; SHIFT Investigators. Effects of selective heart rate reduction with ivabradine on left ventricular remodelling and function: results from the SHIFT echocardiography substudy. Eur Heart J. 2011 Oct;32(20):2507-15. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehr311. Epub 2011 Aug 29.
• Background Bohm M, Swedberg K, Komajda M, Borer JS, Ford I, Dubost-Brama A, Lerebours G, Tavazzi L; SHIFT Investigators. Heart rate as a risk factor in chronic heart failure (SHIFT): the association between heart rate and outcomes in a randomised placebo-controlled trial. Lancet. 2010 Sep 11;376(9744):886-94. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61259-7.
• Background Bristow MR. Treatment of chronic heart failure with beta-adrenergic receptor antagonists: a convergence of receptor pharmacology and clinical cardiology. Circ Res. 2011 Oct 28;109(10):1176-94. doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.111.245092.
• Altman NL, Gill EA, Kahwash R, Meyer LK, Wagner JA, Karimpour-Fard A, Berning AA, Minobe WA, Carroll IA, Jonas ER, Slavov D, Emani S, Abraham WT, Gollah AR, Ellis SL, Taylor MRG, Graw SL, Mestroni L, McKinsey TA, Buttrick PM, Kao DP, Bristow MR. Heart Rate Reduction Is Associated With Reverse Left Ventricular Remodeling and Mechanism-Specific Molecular Phenotypes in Dilated Cardiomyopathy. Circ Heart Fail. 2025 Apr;18(4):e012484. doi: 10.1161/CIRCHEARTFAILURE.124.012484. Epub 2025 Mar 7.

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