Background:

Only limited data are available that address the association between body mass index (BMI) and clinical outcomes in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction who are receiving sacubitril/valsartan.

Methods:

We performed a retrospective multi-center cohort study in which we compared 3 body mass index groups (normal, overweight and obese groups) in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction receiving sacubitril/valsartan. The follow-up period was at least 1 year. Propensity score weighting was performed. The primary outcomes were hospitalization for heart failure and all-cause mortality.

Results:

Of the 721 patients in the original cohort, propensity score weighting generated a cohort of 540 patients in 3 groups: normal weight (n = 78), overweight (n = 181), and obese (n = 281). All baseline characteristics were well-balanced between 3 groups after propensity score weighting. Among our results, we found no significant differences in hospitalization for heart failure (normal weight versus overweight: average hazard ratio [AHR] 1.29, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.76-2.20, P = 0.35; normal weight versus obese: AHR 1.04, 95% CI = 0.63-1.70, P = 0.88; overweight versus obese groups: AHR 0.81, 95% CI = 0.54-1.20, P = 0.29) or all-cause mortality (normal weight versus overweight: AHR 0.99, 95% CI = 0.59-1.67, P = 0.97; normal weight versus obese: AHR 0.87, 95% CI = 0.53-1.42, P = 0.57; overweight versus obese: AHR 0.87, 95% CI = 0.58-1.32, P = 0.52).

Conclusion:

We identified no significant associations between BMI and clinical outcomes in patients diagnosed with heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction who were treated with sacubitril/valsartan. A large-scale study should be performed to verify these results.