New Study Reveals Effective Method for Identifying Undiagnosed Heart Failure Cases

Strategic Insights -

A study conducted at Capital Medical University in Beijing, People's Republic of China, has found that the HFpEF-ABA score is an effective tool for identifying high-risk, undiagnosed heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) subgroups with elevated cardiovascular event rates. The research, which evaluated the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT), also discovered that intensive blood pressure control in these populations can reduce the risk of cardiovascular events without increasing the risk of serious adverse events.

Key Takeaways:

  • The HFpEF-ABA score identified high-risk individuals with undiagnosed HFpEF, with a 90% score associated with a 1.96 times higher risk of primary outcome (myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome, stroke, acute decompensated heart failure, or cardiovascular disease death) compared to those with a score below 90%.
  • The study involved 9265 patients with a mean age of 67.9 years and 35.5% females, with a median follow-up period of 3.2 years.
  • A post-hoc analysis of the SPRINT trial found that intensive blood pressure control resulted in a reduced risk of cardiovascular events in high-risk undiagnosed HFpEF patients.
  • The research concluded that the HFpEF-ABA score is a valuable tool for identifying patients with high cardiovascular risk and that intensive blood pressure control can provide significant benefits without increased risk of adverse events.

Statistics:

  • 9265 patients were involved in the study, with a mean age of 67.9 years and 35.5% females.
  • 559 primary outcomes occurred during a median follow-up period of 3.2 years.
  • The HFpEF-ABA score of 90% was associated with a 1.96 times higher risk of primary outcome compared to a score below 90%.
  • Intensive blood pressure control resulted in a reduced risk of cardiovascular events in high-risk undiagnosed HFpEF patients.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. New Heart Failure Study Results from Capital Medical University Described (Assessing cardiovascular benefits of intensive blood pressure lowering in high-risk undiagnosed HFpEF patients). Cardiovascular Week. October 20, 2025; p 90.
  • ESC Heart Failure, 2025. Assessing cardiovascular benefits of intensive blood pressure lowering in high-risk undiagnosed HFpEF patients. Wiley Periodicals, Inc, One Montgomery St, Suite 1200, San Francisco, CA 94104, USA.