Cardiorenal interactions in heart failure – insights from recent therapeutic advances

Abstract

Abstract Heart failure is a syndrome that may develop when cardiovascular disease progresses or is insufficiently treated and associated with a poor quality of life, high mortality rates and increased health care expenditures. Prevention and treatment of heart failure is therefore of utmost importance. New therapies in patients with cardiovascular disease have recently been shown to be effective in the prevention and sometimes treatment of heart failure, and additional research is underway. Specifically, in high risk patients with either (a combination of) diabetes, chronic kidney disease and/or heart failure, three specific drug classes (sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), glucagon like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1-RA) and non steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA)) have taken center stage in therapeutic approach for these high cardiovascular risk patients. The commonality of these drugs is the finding that they improve cardiovascular and renal endpoints across the cardiorenal continuum, SGTL2i have already proven effective in all subtypes of heart failure, while we await data on non steroidal MRA therapy in heart failure. The story may be different for GLP-1-RA in patients with established heart failure, but these drugs are effective in reducing cardiovascular events in patients with diabetes. Taken together, these new therapies advance the treatment and improve the associated outcomes of patients with cardiorenal disease and diabetes, with similar characteristics and effectiveness in different conditions.