Pharmacologic treatment of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction in chronic kidney disease

Medical management of patients with co-existing Heart Failure with reduced Ejection Fraction (HFrEF) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) poses a significant challenge to treating physicians. On the one hand, the traditional therapeutic strategies such as betablockers, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibiotors, angiotensin receptor blockers and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists have been evaluated in clinical trials that broadly excluded patients with significant CKD. On the other hand, inhibition of the renin angiotensin aldosterone system can lead to worsening of renal function and hyperkalemia potentially causing harm. Consequently, the cornerstones of heart failure treatment are often not adequately employed in HFrEF patients with CKD, a fact which is in itself a risk factor for worse outcomes in this patient population. Notably, it has been shown that these established pharmacologic strategies can be safely administered when carefully monitored. Iron treatment in anemia in CKD is well established and outcome trials in HFrEF are underway. New therapeutic strategies are under current investigation. Sodium glucose transporter 2 inhibitors show promising results in HFrEF and in CKD trials. In addition, Sacubitril/Valsartan significantly reduced events in HFrEF and might reduce renal events in HFpEF.