Sacubitril/Valsartan Versus Valsartan in Heart Failure With Improved Ejection Fraction

Heart failure (HF) is a chronic disease with weakened heart muscles or abnormal pressure within the heart chambers result in breathlessness, leg edema, or fatigue. A subclass of HF shows reduced heart muscle contractility, which is represented by the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Valsartan is an angiotensin II receptor blocker, a major drug class for heart failure. Sacubitril/valsartan is a combination of 2 drugs, classified as a new class of drug called angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI). Although these medications are both first-line treatment in HF with reduced LVEF, recent guidelines encourage the use of sacubitril/valsartan in patients with ongoing symptoms. After successful treatment, some patients experience recovery of LVEF. In these patients, otherwise called heart failure with improved ejection fraction (HFiEF), it is not clear whether continued treatment with sacubitril/valsartan or valsartan is beneficial in terms of relapse of heart failure or worsening of LVEF. Therefore, the investigators aim to determine whether the treatment with sacubitril/valsartan versus valsartan differs in clinical outcomes after 1 year in HFiEF patients by observing the change in blood test markers of heart failure (N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide; NT-proBNP) and aggravation of HF defined as reduced LVEF, congestive symptoms, hospitalization or death from HF.