We evaluated medication use in a retrospective cohort of 1841 outpatients followed in therapeutic unit of heart failure for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. We divided patients on 2 groups: group 1 with cardiac decompensation (n=497, 27%), group 2 with compensated heart failure (n=1344, 73%). The mean age of patients was 65 years with SBP =117.63 in group 1 and 129.4 in group 2, HR =89.3 in group 1, 61.5 bpm in group 2 and sinus rhythm (86.52%). As for treatment, 47% (235/497) in group 1 received a beta-blocker vs 86.75% (1166/1344) in group 2 (p=0.0001) and 85.51% (425/ 497) in group 1 received ACEI vs 88.61% (1191/1344) in group 2 (p=0.34). As for the doses: 6.63% (33/497) in group 1 received an optimal dose of beta-blocker vs 23% (311/1344) in group 2 and 22% (109/497) in group 1 had an optimized dose of ACEI vs 34.44% (463/1344) in group 2 (p=0.0001).
In conclusion, the use of beta blockers and ACEI at target doses is associated with a decreased risk of hospitalization for HF in patients with systolic dysfunction.