Determinants of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor prescription in severe heart failure with left ventricular systolic dysfunction: The EPICAL study

Background Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors have been demonst rated to reduce morbidity and mortality rates in patients with heart failur e with left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Nevertheless, these drugs are underutilized in current practice and prescribed at doses below those usua lly recommended. The aim of this work was to identify the social, demograph ic, laboratory, clinical, and therapeutic factors associated with nonprescr iption of ACE inhibitors and/or their prescription at doses below those rec ommended in the treatment of severe long-term congestive heart failure (CHF ). Methods and Results An epidemiologic observational study, EPICAL (EPidemiol ogie de l'Insuffisance Cardiaque Avancee en Lorraine), studied 417 patients with severe CHF surviving after the index hospitalization. Multivariate lo gistic regression determined the factors associated with ACE inhibitor nonp rescription and with their prescription at lower-than-recommended doses. AC E inhibitors were taken by 75% of the patients but 38% took lower-than-reco mmended doses. Factors shown to be associated with nonprescription included patients >65 years of age with renal impairment (odds ratio 19.5, confiden ce interval [CI] 7.9-48.0), nonsinus cardiac rhythm (odds ratio 2.0, CI 1.2 -3.2), and prescription of potassium-sparing diuretics (odds ratio 2.4, CI 1.2-4.7). Renal impairment was the single most important factor associated with prescription of lower-than-recommended doses, particularly in elderly patients. Conclusions Our results underline the need for optimal and better use of AC E inhibitor therapy. CHF treatment guidelines must be more uniformly applie d by all physicians caring for patients with heart failure.