Utilization pattern of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists in contemporary patients hospitalized with acute decompensated heart failure: A single-center experience

Background Recent studies have broadened the potential use of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA) in patients with systolic heart failure after cardiovascular hospitalization. Real-world data on safety and tolerability of MRA initiation during hospitalization for acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) are lacking. We examined the patterns of utilization of MRAs in patients admitted for ADHF in contemporary clinical practice. Methods and Results We reviewed consecutive hospitalized patients admitted with a primary diagnosis of ADHF from March to June 2011. The treatment patterns of MRA use or discontinuation before, during, and after hospitalization were reviewed and analyzed retrospectively. In the study cohort of 500 patients, 106 patients (21%) were on MRAs before admission. During hospitalization, preadmission and newly started MRAs were discontinued in 64 out of 177 (36%), with worsening renal function being the most common identifiable reason. In a multivariate analysis, high admission creatinine was the only significant predictor of MRA discontinuation during hospitalization (P =.01). Of the 394 patients who did not receive MRA before admission, 81 were eligible for MRAs, but only 17 (21%) were initiated. After a median follow up of 57 days, 21 additional patients discontinued MRAs; of 72 eligible patients for MRA, 55 patients (76%) were still appropriately taking it. Conclusions Despite recent data, MRAs are still underutilized in patients admitted with ADHF who are otherwise eligible for it. Elevated serum creatinine and worsening of renal function are the most common cause of in-hospital discontinuation, which highlights the importance of meticulous follow-up after MRA initiation.