title: Chronic exposure to ivabradine reduces readmissions in the vulnerable phase after hospitalization for worsening systolic heart failure: a post-hoc analysis of SHIFT.
abstract: During the post-discharge phase following a heart failure hospitalization (HFH), patients are at high risk of early readmission despite standard of care therapy. We examined the impact of chronic exposure to ivabradine on early readmissions in patients hospitalized for heart failure during the course of the SHIFT study (Systolic Heart Failure treatment with the If inhibitor ivabradine Trial).
  
  
  
  A total of 1186 of the 6505 randomized patients experienced at least one HFH during the study, and had a more severe profile than those without HFH. Of these 1186 patients, 334 patients (28%) were rehospitalized within 3 months for any reason, mostly for cardiovascular causes (86%), including HFH (61%). Ivabradine was associated with fewer all-cause hospitalizations at 1 month [incidence rate ratio (IRR) 0.70, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.50-1.00, P < 0.05], 2 months (IRR 0.75, 95% CI 0.58-0.98, P = 0.03), and 3 months (IRR 0.79, 95% CI 0.63-0.99, P = 0.04). A trend for a reduction in cardiovascular and HF hospitalizations was also observed in ivabradine-treated patients.
  
  
  
  We demonstrate in this post-hoc analysis that chronic exposure to ivabradine reduces the incidence of all-cause hospitalizations during the vulnerable phase after a HFH. Further studies are needed to investigate if in-hospital or early post-discharge initiation of ivabradine could be useful to improve early outcomes in patients hospitalized for HF.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardio-Metabolism and Nutrition (ICAN), Department of Cardiology, Pierre et Marie Curie University, Paris VI and Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Komajda
authors.affiliation: Maria Cecilia Hospital, GVM Care & Research, E.S. Health Science Foundation, Cotignola, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tavazzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, UK.
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Swedberg
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes, Klinik für Innere Medizin III, Homburg/Saar, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Böhm
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, The Howard Gilman Institute for Heart Valve Diseases and the Schiavone Institute for Cardiovascular Translational Research, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn and New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Borer
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherches Internationales Servier, Suresnes, France.
authors.forename: Aurélie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moyne
authors.affiliation: Robertson Centre for Biostatistics, University of Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ford
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001552:Benzazepines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018450:Disease Progression; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D054143:Heart Failure, Systolic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D000077550:Ivabradine; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D001552:Benzazepines; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents; D000077550:Ivabradine
keywords: Heart failure; Hospitalizations; Ivabradine; Outcomes; Vulnerable phase