Pulmonary Artery Pressure-Guided Heart Failure Management Reduces Hospitalizations in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease.

Background: Hemodynamic-guided heart failure management is a superior strategy to prevent decompensation leading to hospitalization compared with traditional clinical methods. It remains unstudied if hemodynamic-guided care is effective across severities of comorbid renal insufficiency or if this strategy impacts renal function over time.

Methods: In the CardioMEMS US PAS (Post-Approval Study), heart failure hospitalizations were compared from 1 year before and after pulmonary artery sensor implantation in 1200 patients with New York Heart Association class III symptoms and a previous hospitalization. Hospitalization rates were evaluated in all patients grouped into baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) quartiles. Chronic kidney disease progression was evaluated in patients with renal function follow-up data (n=911).

Results: Patients with stage 2 or greater chronic kidney disease at baseline exceeded 80%. Heart failure hospitalization risk was lower in all eGFR quartiles ranging from a hazard ratio of 0.35 (0.27-0.46; <0.0001) in patients with eGFR >65 mL/min per 1.73 m to 0.53 (0.45-0.62; <0.0001) in patients with eGFR ≤37 mL/min per 1.73 m. Renal function was preserved or improved in most patients. Survival was different between quartiles and lower in quartiles with more advanced chronic kidney disease.

Conclusions: Hemodynamic-guided heart failure management using remotely obtained pulmonary artery pressures is associated with lower hospitalization rates and general preservation of renal function in all eGFR quartiles or chronic kidney disease stages.