Publications by authors named "James Lay-Flurrie"

Background: Obesity is associated with excessive adipocyte-derived aldosterone secretion, independent of the classical renin-angiotensin-aldosterone cascade, and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists may be more effective in patients with heart failure (HF) and obesity.

Objectives: This study sought to examine the effects of the nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist finerenone compared with placebo, according to body mass index (BMI) in FINEARTS-HF (FINerenone trial to investigate Efficacy and sAfety superioR to placebo in paTientS with Heart Failure).

Methods: A total of 6,001 patients with HF with NYHA functional class II, III, and IV, a left ventricular ejection fraction of ≥40%, evidence of structural heart disease, and elevated natriuretic peptide levels were randomized to finerenone or placebo.

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Article Synopsis
  • Finerenone, a nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, improved outcomes for heart failure patients in the FINEARTS-HF trial but led to elevated serum potassium levels.
  • The study aimed to analyze the frequency of abnormal serum potassium levels (<3.5 mmol/L and >5.5 mmol/L) and the impact of finerenone treatment compared to placebo on patient outcomes.
  • Results showed that participants taking finerenone experienced significantly higher potassium levels over time, with increased risk of levels >5.5 mmol/L and reduced risk of levels <3.5 mmol/L, indicating a notable effect of the drug on potassium regulation.
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  • Patients with heart failure (HF) are at an increased risk of hospital readmission and mortality, particularly following a recent worsening heart failure (WHF) event.
  • The FINEARTS-HF trial investigated the impact of the drug finerenone on cardiovascular events in HF patients, focusing on their WHF history and timing of treatment initiation.
  • Results showed that those treated with finerenone shortly after a WHF event (within 7 days) had a significantly reduced risk of cardiovascular issues compared to the placebo group, indicating timeliness of treatment may influence effectiveness.
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  • Patients with heart failure (HF) experience increased risks of health complications, but medications like SGLT2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) and finerenone can help reduce cardiovascular events.
  • A study called FINEARTS-HF examined the effects of finerenone in patients with HF and varying ejection fractions, especially looking at those already using SGLT2i.
  • Results showed finerenone effectively lowered the primary health risks in patients regardless of whether they were on SGLT2i, indicating that these treatments can be beneficial together.
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Importance: People living with heart failure (HF) with mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction have substantially curtailed life expectancy free from clinical events compared with their peers of comparable age. The nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, finerenone, was recently shown to reduce risks of cardiovascular events in this population over a median follow-up of 2.6 years; as patients with HF typically continue treatment beyond this time frame, estimating the potential long-term benefits of finerenone could inform shared clinical decision-making.

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Article Synopsis
  • Steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists help patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction, but their effectiveness in those with mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction is unclear, indicating a need for further research on finerenone.
  • In a double-blind study, patients with heart failure (ejection fraction 40% or greater) were assigned to receive either finerenone or a placebo to assess its impact on heart failure events and cardiovascular death.
  • Results showed that finerenone led to fewer worsening heart failure events and a lower overall rate of primary outcome events compared to placebo, although it also carried a higher risk of hyperkalemia.
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  • Cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome links heart disease, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes, with finerenone being a key treatment studied in three clinical trials: FIDELIO-DKD, FIGARO-DKD, and FINEARTS-HF.
  • A pooled analysis of these trials involved nearly 19,000 participants and looked at outcomes over an average follow-up of 2.9 years, showing finerenone reduced overall mortality and hospitalization for heart failure.
  • Although the reduction in cardiovascular death wasn't statistically significant, finerenone effectively lower the risk of deaths from any cause, cardiovascular events, and adverse kidney outcomes.
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Aim: Steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs), spironolactone and eplerenone, are strongly recommended in the treatment of patients with chronic heart failure (HF) with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), but the balance of efficacy and safety in those with higher LVEF has not been well established. Broad use of steroidal MRAs has further been limited in part due to safety concerns around risks of hyperkalaemia, gynecomastia, and kidney dysfunction. These risks may be mitigated by the unique pharmacological properties of the non-steroidal MRA finerenone.

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Aims: To describe the baseline characteristics of participants in the FINEARTS-HF trial, contextualized with prior trials including patients with heart failure (HF) with mildly reduced and preserved ejection fraction (HFmrEF/HFpEF). The FINEARTS-HF trial is comparing the effects of the non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist finerenone with placebo in reducing cardiovascular death and total worsening HF events in patients with HFmrEF/HFpEF.

Methods And Results: Patients with symptomatic HF, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥40%, estimated glomerular filtration rate ≥ 25 ml/min/1.

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Background: Records of medication prescriptions can be used in conjunction with pharmacy dispensing records to investigate the incidence of adherence, which is defined as observing the treatment plans agreed between a patient and their clinician. Using prescribing records alone fails to identify primary non-adherence; medications not being collected from the dispensary. Using dispensing records alone means that cases of conditions that resolve and/or treatments that are discontinued will be unaccounted for.

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COPD and asthma prevalence is associated with socioeconomic status (or "deprivation"), yet deprivation is rarely considered in typical large-scale efficacy randomised controlled trials that recruit highly selected patient populations. In this analysis of the Salford Lung Studies in COPD and asthma (two 12-month, open-label, effectiveness randomised controlled trials conducted in UK primary care), we evaluated the impact of patient deprivation on clinical outcomes with initiating fluticasone furoate/vilanterol continuing usual care. Patients were categorised into deprivation quintiles based on postcode and a countrywide database of indices of deprivation, and trial outcomes by quintile were assessed.

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The Salford Lung Study in Asthma (SLS Asthma) was a multicentre, randomised, controlled, open-label trial that assessed initiating once-daily, single-inhaler fluticasone furoate/vilanterol (FF/VI) 100 μg/25 μg or 200 μg/25 μg versus continuing usual care. A subgroup (n = 400) from SLS Asthma was enrolled in this exploratory, interview-based follow-up study. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected via questionnaires.

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The Salford Lung Study in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (SLS COPD) was a 12-month, Phase III, open-label, randomised study comparing the effectiveness and safety of initiating once-daily fluticasone furoate 100 µg/vilanterol 25 µg (FF/VI) with continuing usual care (UC). Follow-up interviews were conducted among a subset of 400 patients who completed SLS COPD to further understand patients' experiences with treatment outcomes and the impact of COPD, and potential risk factors associated with higher rates of exacerbations during SLS COPD. Another objective was to explore how such patient-centred outcomes differed by randomised treatment.

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Background: The Asthma Salford Lung Study demonstrated the effectiveness and safety of initiating once-daily inhaled fluticasone furoate/vilanterol (FF/VI) versus continuing usual care (UC) in asthma patients in UK primary care [1]. Here, we report a detailed analysis of patient-reported outcome (PRO) endpoints.

Methods: Adults with symptomatic asthma maintained on inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) ± long-acting beta-agonists (LABA) were randomized 1:1 to initiate FF/VI (100 [200]/25 μg) or continue UC.

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Objective: The Asthma Salford Lung Study demonstrated the effectiveness of initiating once-daily fluticasone furoate/vilanterol (FF/VI) versus continuing usual care in asthma patients in UK primary care [ 1 ]. Here, we report a secondary analysis in a subset of patients with fluticasone propionate/salmeterol (FP/Salm) as their baseline intended maintenance therapy, to evaluate the relative effectiveness of initiating FF/VI versus continuing FP/Salm.

Methods: Adults with symptomatic asthma were randomised to initiate FF/VI 100[200]/25 µg or continue FP/Salm.

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This study investigated patient perceptions, experiences and management of COPD throughout the SLS COPD study. Follow-up interviews were conducted with 400 patients who completed SLS COPD; a mixed-methods approach was used to collect quantitative and qualitative information. Structured interviews using closed-ended questions were conducted with 360 patients, detailing aspects of background/lifestyle information and COPD.

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Background: Evidence for management of asthma comes from closely monitored efficacy trials done in highly selected patient groups. There is a need for randomised trials that are closer to usual clinical practice.

Methods: We did an open-label, randomised, controlled, two-arm effectiveness trial at 74 general practice clinics in Salford and South Manchester, UK.

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